29. The woeful miseries that our divisions bring upon us.
Chapter Twenty-Nine The woeful miseries that our divisions bring upon us.
T hey are themselves fruits of the curse; therefore, there can come no other but cursed fruits from them, except God, contrary to their nature, is pleased to overrule them, which only He is able to do. It was the curse of God upon the ground: "Briars and thorns shall it bring forth." It is no less a curse of God upon men's hearts that they bring forth such briars and thorns by which they tear one another.
First, our divisions provoke the wrath of God against us. Though the wrath of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God, it may accomplish the wrath of God. Isaiah 9:21: "Manasseh against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh, and they together against Judah; for all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still." When we are thus one against another, the anger of God is not turned away from us. We may fear His hand will yet be further stretched out against us; as long as our wrath against one another continues so hot, certainly God's wrath is not appeased.
We read of Abraham, when he was about to sacrifice Isaac, he found a ram entangled in the briars, which God had prepared for him to be a
sacrifice. We are this day entangled in the briars, and we know not how to get out; it is a sign that we are prepared to be a sacrifice, even to the wrath of God.
Secondly, by them we serve the designs of our enemies. What would they have given, when they first divided from us, to have procured such great divisions amongst ourselves as have been and yet are? If a million would have purchased them, rather than they should not have been, they would (no question) have given it. I am sure they further their designs more than many millions would have done: "Hoc Ithacus velit, & magno mercentur Atridæ."
We have often said that some who have kept at the Parliament have served the designs of the King and those about him better than those who were with him. Certainly, those who foment divisions amongst us do serve our enemies' turn more than many that are with them. When in our contentions our spirits rise one against another, and we reproach one another, we do not consider, says Nazianzen, how unsafe it is to put weapons into our enemies' hands. He thought in his time, though nearly thirteen hundred years since, that the divisions of the Churches were a great means to further and hasten the coming of Antichrist. For so he says in the same Oration before quoted: "I verily fear lest Antichrist should come suddenly upon these our divisions," and lest he should take advantage of these our offenses and distempers to raise his power over us. Let those therefore who cry down Antichrist so much also cry down divisions, lest they prove to serve the designs of Antichrist in a very great measure, though they think not so.
Thirdly, by these we make ourselves a scorn to our enemies. Hosea 7:16:
"The rage of their tongue shall be their division in the land of Egypt." When malignants hear our rage one against another, we are a derision amongst
them; these Egyptians jeer us, they contemn us, and all the power we can make against them. I find in one of Melanchthon's Epistles a story of one
Bessarion exhorting the princes to concord that they might join against the Turks. He brings in this apologue: There was a war between the wolves and the dogs; news came to the wolves that there was a huge army of dogs coming against them, intending to tear them in pieces. The wolves sent an old wolf out to be a scout; he comes and tells them there were indeed a great company of dogs more than themselves were, but they need not fear, for he perceived they were of different colors. Upon this, the wolves made nothing of them, accounting it an easy matter to deal with them who were so differing amongst themselves. In the same manner, says Melanchthon, do
Staphilus and Canisius and others of the popish faction triumph in respect of us; upon which he falls to prayer that the Son of God, the Lord Jesus
Christ, would govern them and make all in their Churches to be one in Him.
Fourthly, by these we are likely to be made a prey to our enemies. Here many sad stories might be told you of the prevailings of enemies against divided people. The divisions of Israel at this time made them a prey to their adversaries, which you may see clearly if you read 2 Kings 17.
Afterwards, the divisions of the other tribes made them a prey to the Romans. When the Turks have prevailed over Christians, do not all stories tell us it has been through the divisions of Christians? When Normans and Danes prevailed in England, it was by the advantage they had of our divisions; if we will still divide and contend, our condition may prove to be like two birds pecking at one another; in the meantime, the kite comes and catches them both away.
Fifthly, if God should free us from our enemies, yet we are likely to devour one another, and this is a greater misery than to be devoured by the
common adversary. Galatians 5:15: "If ye bite and devour one another, take heed ye be not consumed one of another." What biting and devouring was this? It was not in an open hostile way; they did not take up arms one against another but by their different opinions and contentious behaviors in matters of religion. Their differences in matters of religion were very great
—non de finibus sed de hæreditate—not about the bounds but the inheritance itself; yet unpeaceableness and violence in their behaviors towards one another, though the matter of their difference was so great, is condemned and threatened by the Apostle. Do not our adversaries say, "Let them alone and they will devour one another"? God gives us good hope that He will deliver us from our enemies; but the hearts of many godly and wise men tremble within them, fearing lest that wolvish distemper of ours should feed upon our own flesh when the matter that it had to feed upon from without is taken away.
Sixthly, if we should not devour one another, yet being thus divided we are likely to perish by ourselves as those infecta which after they are cut asunder yet the several parts live; they wriggle up and down a little while but cannot hold long. So it is likely to be with us; except we join together, we cannot live.
Seventhly, these divisions are likely to make many miserable indeed; for if God is not merciful to them—and that soon—they are likely to be such a rock of offense as to split them upon which they are running; they are in very great danger of making shipwreck of their consciences; yea I fear some have done it already; if it is not so, may the Lord be merciful to them and prevent it. The spoiled houses, torn estates, and maimed bodies of men caused by our divisions are sad objects to look upon; but the broken, maimed, spoiled consciences that these have caused—and are likely further
to cause—were and yet are likely to be objects before us to be lamented with tears of blood. This shipwreck of conscience may not be felt now but will prove horror of conscience hereafter.
Eighthly, they are likely to lay a foundation of much evil for posterity; this consideration is almost as sad as any. We think it a great evil that the children of kings should be brought up in the sight of blood, that they should be in danger of having principles of cruelty or tyranny instilled into them at a tender age. We are afraid that the muddy water they drink now might breed diseases in them that may manifest later. Surely, it is also a great evil for the children of the Church to be brought up amidst divisions in matters of religion; that the knowledge of religion they now acquire should be like troubled waters full of soil.
In the beginning of this Parliament, there was as hopeful a generation of young ones coming up as ever the sun saw, but many of them have lost their lives in this public cause. God will certainly take a valuable consideration at the hands of the adversaries for their blood especially; we have cause to bless God for them. God made use of them to stop the rage, the overflowing of the proud adversaries upon us; they have served their generation and have been more useful in it than others who have lived 70 or 80 years before. But for those who are preserved, these divisions in matters of religion have spoiled many of them. They are carried away with such a strange kind of spirit of error, conceitedness, folly, willfulness, bitterness, licentiousness, and boldness, that their hopeful beginnings are lost. The next generation is likely to reap very sour, bitter, and unwholesome fruits from these quarrels and contentions.
By what has been said, you may see why the Spirit of God, in Proverbs 6:19, puts the sowers of discord among those whom God hates. What the
harvest of such seed is likely to be, we shall see in the next section.
**Aggravations of the Misery That Comes by Our Divisions** First, our misery is greater because it is still increasing; divisions make way for more divisions. We beat our brethren until they cry, and then we beat them because they cry—is this not hard dealing? We read in our chronicles that those who were born in England the year after the great mortality of 1349 lacked some of their cheek teeth. If we should judge men's teeth by their biting, one would think that now men had more teeth, or at least far sharper than they used to have; there was never such biting as there is now.
Yet thanks be to God this increase is not in all places, not in our armies.
There was a time when we were much afraid of divisions there, but now we hear they are comfortably united. Dividing terms are not heard among them as formerly; though there be differing judgments, their hearts and arms are open to one another. They love one another and are willing to live and die with one another. The blessing of the Almighty be upon you; go on and prosper, the Lord is with you. He has done great things by you and delights to use you in great services for the honor of His name and the good of His people. You have had, and have, the prayers of the saints; they bless you and bless God for you. Soldiers united in love and hating what is vile are exceedingly strengthened in valor.
Plutarch reports of a Theban band that was only three hundred strong yet was the most terrible to enemies and did the greatest services. They were called the Holy Band because they hated dishonest things and were willing to venture their lives for honest causes, fearing dishonorable reproach more than honorable danger. Though this was one reason it had that name,
Plutarch thinks that the first reason it was called the Holy Band was due to
their entire love for one another. By the same reasoning, he says Plato calls a lover a divine friend by God's appointment.
These Thebans, together with other countrymen, had great power against the Lacedaemonians. To resist such power as the Athenians feared it, they stopped protecting them, renouncing their previous league with them. Every man said the Thebans were undone. But these despised Thebans met with the Lacedaemonians near Tegyra where, according to some accounts, they were outnumbered six to one by a warlike and valiant people. One came running to Pelopidas, the captain of the Thebans, saying, "Sir, we have fallen into the hands of the Lacedaemonians." "Nay, have they not fallen into ours?" said Pelopidas. And so it turned out; they utterly routed them.
In all the wars that the Lacedaemonians ever had with both Greeks and barbarians, no chronicle ever mentioned that they were overcome by an equal number in battle. These Thebans grew so terrible to their enemies that none dared encounter them for a long time. After this battle, Pelopidas never separated them but kept them together and always began with them to charge in his most dangerous battles.
Yet despite all this service, they had ill requital from their people. When their captain Pelopidas came home, a party was stirred up against him that sought to break him, though they could not prevail. It is further reported of this band that it was never broken or overthrown until the battle of Chaeronea where it seems some were added to them. See what love and valor will do in an army unto death. Philip, taking a view of the slain bodies there, saw four hundred dead on the ground, one hard by another, all thrust through with pikes on their breasts. Being told it was the Lovers' Band, he wept for pity, saying, "Woe be to them that think these men did or suffered any evil or dishonest thing."
Ever since our armies have been united, God has wonderfully blessed them. Shall men of war be at peace? Is this fitting? And shall men of peace be at war? How unfitting would this be? Yet so it is. The seeds of dissension have never sprung up more against us than they have of late. The spirits of men seem to be heated and ready to boil against one another in this city more than they have before.
The Lord has made London a blessing to the whole kingdom and the neighboring kingdoms too. The children not yet born will have cause to bless God for London, for their union, their faithfulness, their courage, their generosity. And shall now, when God is about to bring us rest from the rage of our enemies, a fire of dissension be kindled among us? Shall the comfort of all our former mercies and future hopes be lost by raising new quarrels?
And must this come from the city? The Lord forbid. The Lord make you like Jerusalem, a city compact, at unity within itself. Your very name carries unity in the face of it. "Civis à coeundo," says Cicero: "quod vinculo quodam societatis in unum coeunt quasi Coivis."
I remember I have read in Livy a notable speech of Scipio to the citizens at Carthage. "By what name," says he, "shall I call you? I know not: Shall I call you Cives, qui à patria vestra descivistis?" Things have not come to this pass in this city. The Lord forbid that there should ever be that degenerating from that unity and love that has been before, that there should be cause to say, "Shall you still be called Cives? qui à pristina unitate, à pristino amore mutuo descivistis," who have departed from your former unity and mutual love. Oh no, let brotherly love continue (Hebrews 13:1). Let none take your crown, but abide glorious in the eyes of the whole nation about you and all strangers that come into you.
We pray for the peace of London: Let them prosper that love it; peace be within her walls and prosperity within her palaces. If any shall say the city is not guilty herein, it is but some few private men: I gladly answer as Scipio in his aforementioned speech did to the Carthaginians, making such an objection, "Libenter credam negantibus," I am very willing to believe it.
Only do you make it appear to be so by knitting yourselves so much the more strongly together by how much any among you seeks to disunite you.
A second aggravation of the misery of our divisions is that surely none will pity us in all the evil that comes upon us by them. If God should have allowed our enemies to prevail against us, all the Protestant party in the world would have pitied us. If those who had escaped had fled for their lives to them, they would have entertained them with much compassion.
But if we harm ourselves by our divisions, we shall be looked upon as contemptible in the eyes of all. If we should flee to them, we may expect to be entertained with rebukes: "You are an unworthy generation: God put a price into your hands to have done yourselves and all the Protestant party good; you might have freed yourselves from thralldom and many ways have been helpful to us, but you had such proud, envious, quarrelsome spirits that you broke asunder one from another, you harmed one another, and so have undone yourselves and your posterity; you are not worthy to live among men." Can we bear such rebukes as these? Every man that is in misery desires to be pitied, but this misery is likely to be such that no pity can be expected in it.
Thirdly, our consciences will fly in our faces, telling us that we may thank ourselves for all this. It is a great part of the torment of the damned that their consciences shall always upbraid them for bringing so much evil upon themselves. This shall be the gnawing of that worm of conscience forever.
Fourthly, our misery is and will be aggravated by the executioners of it: our familiars, our brethren, those who not long since were dear to us, will be made use of to make us miserable. How great a misery will that be?
When the men of Judah came up to Samson to deliver him to the Philistines (Judges 15:11-12), Samson said to them, "But swear to me that you will not fall upon me yourselves." He thought it a very grievous thing for the men of Judah to fall upon him. He did not so much regard what the Philistines could do against him. Certainly, there is nothing in the world more sad than for one brother to make another miserable.
The history of that war between Sulla and Marius tells of one having slain a man not knowing him, but after he looked and found it was his brother, in the anguish of his heart because he had slain his brother, he took his sword and ran it into his own bowels. It is a great evil to be an instrument of evil to our brethren and to suffer evil from our brethren.
This consideration might be enough to stop us in our divisions and cause us to think of ways of joining. Plutarch in the forecited place, the life of Pelopidas, says that the poets write that the misfortune of Laius who was slain by his brother Oedipus was the first original cause that the Thebans began to be in such love one with another, to join in that Holy Band before mentioned. If this were cause enough to take us off from our contentions, we have enough of this among us. The Lord be merciful to us.
Fifthly, the misery of our contentions in the civil state is such that if we are overcome, we are undone; for our outward condition, we and our posterity are made slaves; if we do prevail, yet there is sadness in our conquest. That is a miserable war which is thus. The civil wars of the Romans were such: "Nullos habitura triumphos," there was no triumph but sadness even in victory.
Sixthly, what help can there be? For we willfully make ourselves miserable; if men will undo themselves, who can help it? Except God comes in from heaven with a mighty hand to help, our wound is incurable.
Thus you have seen what evil and bitter things our divisions are; their root is evil and bitter, and they are the root of much evil and bitter fruit. We read
Genesis 38:29 that Pharez was the son of Tamar; Pharez signifies division or fraction, from whence he had his name; Tamar signifies a palm tree,*
"Ab amaritudine," says Pagnine, according to some, from bitterness; division comes from bitterness and begets like itself nothing but bitterness.