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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
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<P>A SERMON TENDING TO PEACE.</P>
<P>PREACHED BEFORE His MAJESTY, &amp;c.</P>
<P>At NEWPORT in the I&s;le of <HI>Wight,</HI> During the time of this late TREATY.</P>
<P><HI>By</HI> WILLIAM HAYWOOD D. D. and Chaplain in Ordinary to His MAJESTY.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed by <HI>Fr: Neile</HI> for HENRY SEILE. 1648.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
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<HEAD>A SERMON OF <HI>PEACE.</HI></HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>ROM. 12. ver. 18.</BIBL>
<P><HI>If it be po&s;sible as much as lyeth in you, live peaceably with all men.</HI></P></Q>
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<P>_MAny Precepts of Moralitie the latter part of this Chapter hath &s;ummoned up together. Among which there is not any more important, more difficult then this I have here read you, nor at this time more per|tinent. Important it is, for it comprehends the &s;ub&s;tance of ma|ny Precepts before and after it. Such as, <HI>Be of the &s;ame minde one to another: Recompen&s;e to no man evil for evil: Provide things hone&s;t in the &s;ight of all men. Not avenging your &s;elves; but give place unto wrath: I thine Enemie bunger, feed him,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>And be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.</HI></P>
<P>Nor this onely; but it includes the whole compa&s;&s;e of Charity towards men: &s;o that in this one precept all the Law towards our neighbour appears &s;ummoned up. For as <HI>love is the fulfilling of the Law:</HI> &s;o peace is the fulfilling of our love. <HI>Love worketh no evil to his neighbour:</HI> And peace multiplieth all good upon our neigh|bour. Peace is the complement of all ble&s;&s;ings upon the bodie politick, as health is of all ble&s;&s;ings, on the body naturall. As
<PB N="2" REF="3">the &s;afetie of our naturall bodies con&s;i&s;ts in a kinde of peace among humors, and a union of all parts and members: So the &s;afetie of all Civill bodies, in peace or harmonie among &s;everall affections, and the union of all members politick. So that fulfill this one dutie, and fulfill all duties, to the common &s;ociety of men belonging. The happine&s;&s;e of private per&s;ons is contained in the publick: The happine&s;&s;e of the publick (when all is done) will be found to con&s;i&s;t in peace. Live peaceably then, and ye take the readie&s;t way to happine&s;&s;e, both for your &s;elves, and others, for your private and for the publick intere&s;t. So that a more im|portant dutie then lyeth in this Text, can hardly be imagined.</P>
<P>Yet as it is very important, &s;o tis very difficult. That may ap|pear by the two limitations annexed: <HI>If it be po&s;&s;ible,</HI> and, <HI>As much as lyeth in you. If it be po&s;&s;ible.</HI> So that &s;ometimes the work may be neither po&s;&s;ible, not yet lying in us. And yet even then, we are not di&s;charged, till we have done all we po&s;&s;ible may, and all that lyeth in us, with all the faculties and powers of minde and body to accompli&s;h it. And the latter of the&s;e will co&s;t us diffi|cultie enough; by which we may take an e&s;timate, how hard a bu&s;ine&s;&s;e we are now toward: and how great need, as of our ut|mo&s;t endeavours, &s;o of our fervent prayers: That what appears beyond our power, the God of power and peace both, would vouch&s;afe to make up, and remove all difficulties from be|fore us.</P>
<P>It is his work we are about. To him that made Heaven and Earth nothing more acceptable, then to make peace among men; Nor any thing more becoming the honour of <HI>Chri&s;tianity;</HI> for the very end of Chri&s;ts coming was to make it. It was the la&s;t ble&s;&s;ing our Saviour be&s;towed on his Di&s;ciples at his going. <HI>Peace</HI> I <HI>leave with you: My peace I give unto you.</HI> St. <HI>Joh.</HI> 14. <HI>v.</HI> 27. The la&s;t and the fir&s;t, at his coming. For at his birth, it was a main part of the Angels &s;ong, <HI>Pax in terris, Peace on the earth.</HI> When again he ro&s;e from the dead it was his fir&s;t &s;alutation, <HI>Pax vobis, Peace be unto you:</HI> Joh. 20.19. And when he began fir&s;t to teach, it was among his fir&s;t ble&s;&s;ings, <HI>Beati pacifici, B'e&s;&s;ed be the peace-makers'</HI> Him&s;elf therefore ye finde &s;tyled by the Prophet, <HI>Princeps pacis, The Prince of peace,</HI> I&s;a. 9.6. By the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Deus pacis, The God of peace:</HI> Heb. 13. Nay, <HI>Ip&s;e, pax no&s;tra, our very peace;</HI> who hath broken
<PB N="3" REF="3">down the partition wall: <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.14. His Di&s;ciples tearmed in Scripture, <HI>Angeli pacis, Me&s;&s;engers of peace.</HI> How beautifull are the feet of them, that bring the glad tydings of it! <HI>Rom.</HI> 10.5. Sent forth to teach the world with peace in their mouthes, <HI>Luk</HI> 10.5. known all the world over by this Charter; <HI>In this &s;hall all mers know that ye are my Di&s;ciples, if ye have love one to another.</HI> Joh. 13.35. And what love without peace? His Go&s;pel therefore we finde intituled, <HI>The Go&s;pel of peace;</HI> His righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, <HI>the work of peace;</HI> His glorious kingdom, <HI>the Peace that pa&s;&s;eth all under&s;tanding.</HI> Tis the generall Preface of St. <HI>Pauls</HI> Epi&s;tles, <HI>Grace and Peace be with you. The beginning of the wayes of God the Redeemer, who came to guide our feet into the way of peace;</HI> and the end of our way, the finall &s;um of heavenly bli&s;&s;e, <HI>Lord now lette&s;t thou thy &s;ervant depart in peace.</HI> So that neither to this life, nor the life to come; Neither to happine&s;s temporall, nor happine&s;s eternall; Neither to God nor Man, to Policie nor Religion, can ye conceive any thing more agreeable then Peace, or any Precepts more to be valued, then &s;uch as &s;hew the way to it.</P>
<P>Not to hold you too long in Prefacing; but to proceed to a divi&s;ion of the Text. Two parts there appear at fir&s;t &s;ight in it. Fir&s;t, a duty generally required, <HI>Live peaceably with all men:</HI> Se|condly, a limitation of that duty, implying in &s;ome ca&s;es a di&s;|pen&s;ation of it, and that two wayes expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>if it be po&s;&s;ible,</HI> and, <HI>as much as lieth in you:</HI> In the former Generall, that is, the Duty required; ye may take notice of three Particulars; fir&s;t, the thing injoyned, namely, Peaceably living; &s;econdly, the parties towards whom 'tis injoyned, and they are Men; thirdly, the indifferency or univer&s;ality of tho&s;e Parties, <HI>with all men.</HI> The&s;e three Particulars, together with the two limitatations annexed make in all five parts of our Text. Fir&s;t, <HI>Live peaceably,</HI> &s;econdly, <HI>with men,</HI> thirdly, <HI>with all men,</HI> fourthly, <HI>If it be po&s;&s;ible,</HI> fiftly, <HI>As much as lieth in you.</HI> To proceed orderly, we begin with the thing enjoyned, which is the &s;ub&s;tance of the Dutie,
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Live peaceably.</HI></P>
<P>Two things would here be inquired of. Fir&s;t, what Peace is, and then what it is to live peaceably; As touching the fir&s;t, What Peace is, School-writers inform us it is, <HI>&V;nio virtutum appetitiva|rum,</HI> a union of powers appetitive, &s;o that all creatures capable
<PB N="4" REF="4">of appetite, are likewi&s;e capable of Peace or di&s;cord, according as their particular appetites agree, or di&s;agree. Now as of di|vers creatures the appetites are divers, and &s;ometimes repugnant one to the other; &s;o al&s;o in one and the &s;ame creature are found different appetites, betwixt which ma fall out now and then repugnant and contrariety; as betwixt the &s;en&s;uall appetite and the rationall, whereby it comes to pa&s;s that one and the &s;ame party other-whiles is out of peace with him&s;elf: Hence is it that Schoolmen make a double degree of Peace, one <HI>ad extra,</HI> betwixt the appetites of different parties, which they call concord, or outward peace. Another <HI>ad intra,</HI> betwixt the &s;ever all appetites of one and the &s;ame party, which they call mentall or inward peace. To the accompli&s;hment of Peace in its perfection, both the&s;e would concur. Fir&s;t, a quiet of our own hearts within, that our affections be not divided among them&s;elves, by running af|ter contrary appetitites. And &s;econdly, quieter concord with our neighbours without, that their affections contrary to ours, divide us not again&s;t them. Of the&s;e twaine, the latter in our Text &s;eemes principally intended, namely, outward peace, or concord, for it is, <HI>Live peaceably with men,</HI> and yet the inward may not be excluded, becau&s;e unle&s;s a bo&s;ome peace be well cheri|&s;hed, externall peace is quickly broken: Inward tranquility (&s;aith one) is the ground of outward, unle&s;s our dome&s;tick ap|petites among&s;t them&s;elves be at unity among our neighbours, we cannot chu&s;e but jarr and breed di&s;&s;ention. Whence it fol|loweth, That no evill man can rightly fulfill this precept of our Text, becau&s;e &s;uch an one is di&s;titute of inward peace, his con|&s;cience ever and anon rai&s;eth tumults within him; his rea&s;on and his &s;en&s;e di&s;tract him &s;everall wayes, and he obeyeth two Ma&s;ters, with others therefore he can hold no con&s;tant friend&s;hip, who is &s;o un&s;table and at variance with him&s;elf, <HI>Non est pax impiis, There is no peace &s;aith my God to the wicked, I&s;ay</HI> 57.21. How can there be? While their bo&s;omes within, are like a troubled &s;ea, who&s;e waves ca&s;t up mire and dirt? And yet an appearance of peace there may be for a time, as betwixt <HI>Herod</HI> and <HI>Pilot</HI> there was (you know upon what occa&s;ion) but as true friend&s;hip that can|not be, which is not founded in goodne&s;s, no more true peace: for peace and friend&s;hip go together: Fal&s;e peace and not to be
<PB N="5" REF="4">tru&s;ted is the friend&s;hip of wicked men, for while they pur&s;ue each one the plea&s;ure of his &s;en&s;uall appetite, to have their fill of the&s;e temperall good things (things which cannot be enjoyed by many) needs mu&s;t they fall &s;ometimes upon de&s;ire of the &s;ame honor, or profit, or plea&s;ure, which diver&s;e cannot &s;hare between them, from whence ari&s;eth envie, trouble, and di&s;cord, driving all peace out of doores.</P>
<P>To give you therefore the right Peace here di&s;cribed: It is &s;uch a Peace as pre&s;erves, fir&s;t, our own hearts and affections un|di&s;turbed within. And &s;econdly, upholds la&s;ting concord and agreement with our neighbours without. Both the&s;e would be had, for to keep outward corre&s;pondencie and not inward, to make &s;hew of Peace in our behaviour while our hearts are fraught with envie and malice, what can be wor&s;e hipocri&s;ie? And to keep inward peace, without any outward &s;ignes, as great an indecorum, if not impo&s;&s;ibilitie; for how can any think his con&s;cience &s;hould be at peace with God, who&s;e actions are not peaceable towards men? <HI>He that loveth not his brother whom he hath &s;eene, how can be love God whom he hath not &s;eene?</HI> &s;aith St. <HI>Iohn:</HI> and he that keeps not peace with his neighbours with whom he hath not alwayes to do; how can he keep peace in his own affections with which he hath ever to do? Both kinds therefore mu&s;t go hand in hand: And &s;o ye &s;ee in part what Peace is.</P>
<P>Next we demand what it is to live peaceably? What &s;hould it be, but to dedicate our lives and labours to the maintenance and propagation of this Peace? not only to pre&s;erve Peace where it is, but to introduce it where it is not. Nor to re&s;tore Peace a|lone, when it is lo&s;t, but to continue it after it is found; nor to cheeri&s;h Peace only, abiding with us, but to hold it fa&s;t when it would part from us, and when it is gone, to pur&s;ue and &s;eeke af|ter it, never to re&s;t while we have found it. <HI>Inquire pacem</HI> (&s;aith the P&s;almi&s;t) <HI>&s;eek peace,</HI> and <HI>Pacem per&s;equimini, follow after peace, Heb.</HI> 12. Be in&s;tant, and &s;eek earne&s;tly as ye would for &s;ome pre|cious Jewell being lo&s;t, or &s;ome dear friend parted away in di&s;|plea&s;ure; and when ye have found it, make much of it: nouri&s;h it, protect it, &s;trive to prolong and inlarge it; all this is compre|hended in
<GAP DESC="foreign">, not only to obtain, and purcha&s;e, but to maintain and propagate Unity all we may, and to look that
<PB N="6" REF="5">our Peace be right and orderly, without deformity, &s;chitme, or partiality, without hipocri&s;ie, oppre&s;&s;ion, or injury, to live par|ticular, without incon&s;tancie, or giving over: well therefore rendered, <HI>Not have peace</HI> (as &s;ome Tran&s;lators reade it) <HI>but live peaceably,</HI> that is, continue in Peace.</P>
<P>Many and weighty are the labours comprehended in this, word
<GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Live peaceably,</HI> 'tis but a &s;hort &s;aying, but very tedious and weari&s;ome offices it requires; one while we are to &s;tudy all things that may plea&s;e and reconcile, another while to take away all that may di&s;ta&s;te and give offence. Some|times all manner of mole&s;tations are to be indured, and we mu&s;t not be weary of our patience; and &s;ometimes our own right yeelded up to mitigate other mens impatience. Above all the manners and di&s;po&s;itions of tho&s;e we deale with would be ob|&s;erved, that we offend not unwittingly, many indignities are to be put up, many affronts fo given, many injuries and unkinde &s;peeches buried in oblivion, and all little enough to make up this duty of living peaceably.</P>
<P>Nor is it a bu&s;ine&s;s thus labourious only for the practi&s;e, but generall al&s;o, for the obligation, <HI>As live peaceably with all men:</HI> So all men who&s;oever ye are think it your duty thus to live. 'Tis a precept not for mean men only, who are liable to &s;uffer injuries, but for great and mighty ones &s;pecially who have power to do injuries; nor for inferior people alone, who live under then &s;helter of Peace, but chiefly for Governors and Magi&s;trates who have the cu&s;tody of Peace; nor for learners only, who&s;e di&s;&s;entions are often out of ignorance, but &s;peciall for Teachers, who can &s;pread di&s;&s;ention by their knowledge: For all men, and of all &s;orts, it is a needfull duty. That neither their meane&s;s make them di&s;pair of &s;eeking Peace, nor their greatne&s;s render them carele&s;s how they break Peace. For
<GAP DESC="foreign"> here &s;tands plurall, that is indiffinite, and generall. All men by all means, to indeavour this peaceable living.</P>
<P>Y<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">s ye will &s;ay, with whom we are able we are willing, peaceably with God, peaceably with our own con&s;ciences, peace|ably with our family within doors, it may be; but this is not enou<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">h: the peace here injoyned, is <HI>ad extra;</HI> not within doors only, but without. Peace with our &s;elves and our own hou&s;es,
<PB N="7" REF="5">yea and peace with other men too. Thats the next Point of our divi&s;ion onward, <HI>viz.</HI> The parties towards whom this duty is in|joyned, 'tis
<GAP DESC="foreign"><HI>Peaceably with men.</HI></P>
<P>And with good rea&s;on have we the parties thus plainly ex|pre&s;&s;ed, lea&s;t any &s;hould boa&s;t (as &s;ome do) of their inward peace, while we &s;ee no outward fruit. At peace with God, and their own con&s;ciences, O that they are! &s;ure of their electi|on, no men more; and yet &s;o unquiet with their neighbours, &s;o full of carping, cen&s;uring, wrangling, and fault-finding, &s;o little peaceable outwardly, as no men le&s;s. Are the&s;e the &s;ons of peace think ye, or any friends to it, who for an unkind word, can trea&s;ure up many years malice? For cro&s;&s;ing them in their fond opinions, rai&s;e &s;landers, &s;pread libils, practi&s;e all mi&s;chief to undermine their brethren, or make them odious: for di&s;co|vering &s;ome di&s;like of their faction, fall to ho&s;tility, rob, and &s;poile, and pur&s;ue with the &s;word, men under the &s;ame <HI>Laws,</HI> and Religion with them&s;elves? And yet many of the&s;e love God with all their hearts, that they do, and are &s;o po&s;&s;e&s;t with his Spirit, for&s;ooth, the &s;pirit of Peace that they cannot err a|gain; A likely matter doubtle&s;s, that the &s;pirit of Peace &s;hould abide in their hearts, who&s;e works tend to nothing but di&s;&s;enti|on? <HI>Shew me thy faith by thy works</HI> (&s;aith St. <HI>Iames</HI>) &s;o may we &s;ay, Shew us your inward peace by the outward fruits of it; witne&s;s your love to God by your love to your neighbour, If not, never talk of regeneration and peace made with heaven, while &s;o little tokens of it appear upon earth. <HI>Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth &s;peaketh,</HI> and by the di&s;po&s;ition of the heart man worketh; if no peace in the works, no peace in our words or &s;peeches, then none in the heart, que&s;tionle&s;s: Never therefore boa&s;t of Peace, other where &s;eated, unle&s;s ye have peace with men.</P>
<P><HI>With men:</HI> And that every way; with their affections, and with their judgements with their purpo&s;es, and with their per|&s;ecutions, with their conceptions; yea, and with their opinions, if it be po&s;&s;ible.</P>
<P>And yet where we &s;peak of opinions; worth noting it is, what <HI>Aquinas</HI> tels us, That Peace is properly a union of parts appeti|tive, not of parts intellective. If we varie in opinion one from an|other, this ought not to breed variance in our wils by and by,
<PB N="8" REF="6">were men, as they &s;hould be, peaceable. But becau&s;e mo&s;t people are wedded to their affections, making opinions and all, bend after their &s;en&s;uall appetites; therefore where they finde others differing in opinion, immediately they make a rent in affection too, all becau&s;e their own opinions are too much affected. Wher|as it becomes Charitie, not to follow the &s;way of our &s;en&s;uall appetites and affections, but to be governed by rea&s;on. And to interpret the opinions of others with favour, &s;o long as they are not dangerou&s;ly de&s;tructive to the Chri&s;tian faith, or the com|mon quiet. Nay, a peaceable minde will abate &s;omewhat of the &s;tiffene&s;&s;e of his own judgement for peace and charities &s;ake, and deny his own wi&s;dom in matters of le&s;&s;e importance, to &s;alve other mens folly. And this makes the precept of our Text very difficult, for what more various, then the opinions of men? <HI>Tot homines, tot &s;ententiae;</HI> Ea&s;ier it &s;eems to have peace with wilde bea&s;ts, peace with di&s;ea&s;es and furies, peace with winds, and Seas, then with men in this &s;en&s;e; And yet as far as divine truth, and the publick &s;afetie permits, we are to labour after this peace al&s;o, &s;o we can in any fort reconcile mens meanings to the truth, or bear their untruths, without perill of the Churches di&s;tur|bance, we are to endeavour peace; not with men onely, but with the affections, the judgements and opinions of men.</P>
<P>With the judgements and opinions of men; but yet not with the wrongfulne&s;&s;e of their judgements, nor the error of their opinions: no, take heed of that. It is live peaceably with men: not with the vices, and corruptions of men; but with their per|&s;ons, and with the per&s;ons live peaceably as we ought we can|nor, unle&s;&s;e we be at &s;trife with their corruptions. He that right|ly loves the nature, hates the depravation of what he loves; and he that is a true friend to &s;uch and &s;uch parties, he can be no friend to that which de&s;troys and marrs the parties. Think not your &s;elves therefore tyed to con&s;ent to the errors of men. Sooth them not in their vices: nor with tho&s;e fal&s;e prophets in <HI>Ezekiel,</HI> &s;owe pillows to the elbows of &s;inners; or cry peace, peace, to tho&s;e who&s;e ju&s;t de&s;truction is threatned from heaven. But &s;etting their vices, and dangerousing agements a &s;ide, have all peace with the parties, bear no manner of hatred to the man, however ye abhor the wickedne&s;&s;e of the man, but pitie him in his per&s;on as your
<PB N="9" REF="6">brother, endeavouring to cure him, and &s;et him right, prefer|ving all charitable friend&s;hip in your hearts towards him; how ever for the &s;oundne&s;&s;e of his future peace, ye be con&s;trained &s;ometimes, to &s;uppre&s;&s;e all outward tokens of pre&s;ent peace. Nor think it enough that you &s;tand thus charitably affected to &s;ome few, whom you can well brook, nay there follows after the par|ties, the indifferencie or univer&s;alitie of the parties, Live peace|ably not with men onely, but with all men; which is the third point of our divi&s;ion.</P>
<P><HI>With all men:</HI> That is, not with our friends, or Benefactors alone; why who doth not &s;o? But with our very Enemies and per&s;ecutors. For this is right Chri&s;tian perfection, to love tho&s;e that hate us, and return good to the&s;e that hurt us. <HI>Cum his qui pacem oderunt, pacificus eram,</HI> (&s;aith the P&s;almi&s;t) with &s;uch men have <HI>I laboured agreement, who when I &s;pake unto them thereof, made them ready for battell.</HI> P&s;al. 120.6. And to do our text right: this comes home to the meaning of the Apo&s;tle. For the beleeving Chri&s;tians in <HI>Rome</HI> to whom St. <HI>Paul</HI> wrote, were but a &s;mall partie, in compari&s;on of tho&s;e Infidels, Pagans, and Jewi&s;h Pro|&s;elites, wherewith the world then abounded, from whom be|cau&s;e litile quiet could be expected, if they made open profe&s;&s;ion of their beleef, he wills them to avoid all vi&s;ible &s;candalls, and as much as in them lay, to have peace with the&s;e of a different faith, giving no offence neither to the Jew, nor to the Gentile, nor to the Church of God, for if you love them that love you only, what reward have ye, and if ye &s;alute your brethren only, what do ye more then others; Nay, live peaceably with them that would have no peace, overcome their evill with your good, and convert the bitterne&s;s of their malice, into &s;weetne&s;s and concord, by the abundance of your kindne&s;s and peaceable car|riage; have peace not with your acquaintance only, but with &s;trangers and aliens; nor with good men alone, but with evill too; nor with quiet natures and none el&s;e, but with froward and perver&s;e; nor with friendly neighbours that u&s;e you well, but with cro&s;s and contentious ones, yea with your enemies, oppre&s;|&s;ors, and per&s;ecutors, never &s;o far e&s;tranged, in affection, pur|po&s;e, or Religion, do as much as in you lieth to have peace with all men.</P>
<PB N="10" REF="7">
<P>And good rea&s;on for it, both in generall and particular. In generall ye are commanded to love all, and con&s;equently to your power to agree with all: If no agreement never talke of love; Peace is the fruit of love, and therefore a mong fruits of the Spirit, &s;et by and by after love, <HI>Gal.</HI> 5.22. As far as your love ex|tends, therefore your peace &s;hould extend, none to be excluded from the limits of your concord; becau&s;e none to be excepted out of your <HI>love your neighbour as your &s;elf,</HI> that is, every man as your &s;elf: And if love may not be denied to our enemies, then not Peace neither. <HI>Servants be obedient to your Ma&s;ters, not to the good and gentle only, but even to the froward</HI> (&s;aith St. <HI>Peter) for this is thank|worthy, if for con&s;cience &s;ake ye indure grief, and for the love of peace be content, not only to do well, but to &s;uffer evill too.</HI> This in generall.</P>
<P>In particular. There is not that condition of men to be pro|duced, for which &s;ome rea&s;ons and inducements appear not to invite us to peace: Are they our friends, our acquaintance, fa|mily, or alliance, why, what a &s;hame is it to fall out with &s;uch? 'Tis like the jarring of humors in one and the &s;ame body, which u&s;ually foreruns &s;ickne&s;s and death; &s;o is it if men of the &s;ame linage, and bloud, the &s;ame countrey and breeding, the &s;ame order, profe&s;&s;ion, or Religion &s;hall be at emnity; Are not the&s;e bonds &s;ufficient to keep us from hatred? With whom do we think to have peace, if civill relations, if &s;acred knots and obli|gations cannot hold us in. Are they &s;trangers to us? &s;o much the more to be honored and plea&s;ed that they may not &s;peak or think ill of us whom we &s;hall meete but &s;eldome; Are they our betters? take heede how we provoke them, they have power on their &s;ide, or may have quickly; Are they our inferious? pitty to contend with &s;uch weaklings, whom be their cau&s;e right or wrong, we in re&s;pect of our mightine&s;s &s;hall &s;till be thought to oppre&s;s; Are they our enemies, and &s;uch as have wronged us? &s;o much more glorious the victory, to maintain peace with them that hate peace, and to overcome their evill with our good; Are they foes to our Religion, enemies to the truth of Chri&s;t, men of reprobate and wicked manners? have as little conver&s;ation with them as you may, but have peace notwith&s;tanding; to &s;hun them ye are allowed, ye are not allowed to &s;trive with them: the like may be &s;aid of the wor&s;t of our Per&s;ecutors, Infidells, Schi&s;|maticks,
<PB N="11" REF="7">Athie&s;ts, Incendiaries of Church or State: though you are to beware contagion from them, yet to your power pre&s;erve Peace and Charity with them; pray for them, revile them not, enter not into open contentions and compari&s;ons with them; let them not in any ca&s;e fire you into impatience and &s;trife; but endeavour with all meekne&s;s of wi&s;dom to win them home, and draw them to the right. No unrea&s;onable doctrine it is there|fore, though it be a difficult one. <HI>Live peaceably with all men.</HI></P>
<P>Yea, but how if no peace will be had unle&s;s I partake of mens wickedne&s;s? No living in <HI>Bethel</HI> unle&s;s we will wor&s;hip the gol|den Calves? No &s;topping the mouthes of wicked Elders, but by giving up our Cha&s;tity, as poor <HI>Su&s;anna</HI> was put to it? No ap|pea&s;ing the unruly multitude, unle&s;s we will affirm an impious lye? which was the cau&s;e of <HI>Calib</HI> and <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> among the ten Spies. No &s;caping the rage of the people, unle&s;s we a&s;&s;i&s;t them in &s;et|ting up a new fangled Religion after their fancie, as <HI>Acon</HI> was con&s;trained to do, &s;hall we make light of our con&s;cience, and for&s;ake God and his truth for our quiet &s;ake? No, there is no &s;uch nece&s;&s;ity laid upon you, ye are not &s;o &s;treight laced, there followeth a difpen&s;ation in the Text when &s;uch ca&s;es falls out, and that not a &s;ingle one, but a double, <HI>If it be po&s;&s;ible, and as much as lieth in you.</HI> That brings us upon the fourth Generall of our Divi&s;ion.</P>
<P><HI>If it be po&s;&s;ible.</HI> So then 'tis apparent &s;ometimes it is not po&s;&s;i|ble. <HI>And as much as lieth in you.</HI> So that there are &s;ea&s;ons when you can do no good upon them. A twofold exception there ap|pears therefore from this generall rule. One ri&s;ing from the nature of things them&s;elves. If the difference be &s;uch as cannot be reconciled with &s;afety to a good con&s;cience, then look to your con&s;cience, let peace go. That ye have in, <HI>If it be po&s;&s;ible.</HI> Another from the mea&s;ure of the parties abilitie if it exceed not our &s;trength, if it fall within our compa&s;s; and if it do not, why yet we are bound, as far as our ability reacheth how&s;oe|ver. And that ye have, in <HI>quantum in vobis, as much as lieth inyou.</HI> If one of the&s;e will not take place, the other may; if the work of peace in it &s;elf be not po&s;&s;ible, if we can<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="3 letters"> reconcile tho&s;e who are to be gained with nothing but the <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span">ur &s;ouls, yet at
<PB N="12" REF="8">lea&s;t, <HI>Quantum in vobis,</HI> that is po&s;&s;ible; we may do &s;till as much as lieth in us, though toward us outwardly, &s;uch adver&s;aries will have no peace, yet inwardly we may have peace toward, them; though the compleate perfection of the work they will not permit, yet the indeavour of the work &s;o far as are able, in us they cannot hinder; And that &s;hall &s;uffice to di&s;charge us. Of the&s;e two conditions, therefore briefly in their order. And fir&s;t of the former, <HI>If it be po&s;&s;ible.</HI></P>
<P>A form of &s;peech this is which implieth often difficulties in the bu&s;ine&s;s; and &s;ometimes impo&s;&s;ibility; difficult where the parties to be reconciled are froward, and &s;elf-willed enemies to Peace in <HI>Davids</HI> language. Impo&s;&s;ibility where no agreement will be had, without lo&s;s of a good con&s;cience: Where Gods honour, or the admini&s;tration of Ju&s;tice, or the di&s;charge of our calling lieth at &s;take, &s;o that we cannot have peace with men, unle&s;s we will be irreligious, unju&s;t, or unfaithfull. In the for|mer ca&s;e where peace is only difficult; that &s;hould &s;tir up our di|ligence the rather; indeavour with &s;o much the more patience, and unwearied indu&s;try, to overcome the frowardne&s;s of tho&s;e we have to deale with; and where &s;o precious a Jewell as Peace is to be compa&s;&s;ed, with expence of our labour or our &s;ub|&s;tance, there &s;pare for no co&s;t or pains. But where it is impo&s;&s;i|ble to a &s;ervant of God, where nothing will do it but the &s;ale of a good con&s;cience, there rou&s;e up our courage, and prefer not outward peace before inward; mens contentment, or our own temporall commodity or &s;afety, before Gods honour, our &s;ouls quiet, and the publique good. But it will here be demanded, how we may know when Peace is po&s;&s;ible, when not: Six ca&s;es are mentioned by &s;ome Divines, ye may refer them to the three heads aforenamed, of Religion, Ju&s;tice, and Faithfulne&s;s in our calling. Of Religion fir&s;t. God him&s;elf (in ca&s;e his publique wor&s;hip be indangered) enjoyns us flatly to break the peace. <HI>If thy brother the &s;on of thy mother, or thy &s;on, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy b<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ome, or thy friend, which is as thine own foul, entice thee &s;ecretly &s;aying, let us go and &s;erve other gods which thou &s;halt not know, &amp;c. Thou &s;hall not con&s;ent unto him, nor bearken unto him, neither &s;hall thine eye <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">itty him: <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> not &s;pare, nor conceal him, but thou &s;halt &s;urely kill him, Thy <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">all be fir&s;t upon him, and afterward the hand
<PB N="13" REF="8">of all the people, Deut.</HI> 13.6. Thus ye are to under&s;tand it, in ca&s;e of temptation to manife&s;t Idolatry, Bla&s;phemy, Here&s;ie, or Apo|&s;tacie, from the true faith and wor&s;hip of God: we can have no peace, nay, we can have no mercy; we are not allowed to &s;pare and conceal the party &s;o tempting us, but deliver him up to ju&s;t puni&s;hment, be he never &s;o neer, or dear to us. Secondly, where our &s;elves are per&s;ecuted for Religion, or Vertue, or obedience to Gods Law in any kinde, and there is no way of &s;atisfying our per&s;ecutors, or delivering our &s;elves from trouble, but by de|nying our faith, yeelding up our vertue, or violating our obedi|ence to Gods Commandements. In the&s;e two ca&s;es, the one of|fen&s;ive, the other defen&s;ive; for pre&s;ervation of our Religion, and our duty to God no peace po&s;&s;ible.</P>
<P>Two other ca&s;es follow, which belong to Ju&s;tice. One where we are pa&s;&s;ive, or tho&s;e who are one with us: and we are violent|ly a&s;&s;aulted contrary to Law and equity. We may then break the peace for our own pre&s;ervation, in defending our &s;elves, &s;o we do it <HI>Cum moderamine inculpate tutelae,</HI> go not beyond what is needfull to our hone&s;t defence, or theirs who depend on us, as our wives, children or family. The like holds when we are violently handled, becau&s;e we will not joyn with others in breaking Peace, and trampling down Ju&s;tice. <HI>Cast in thy lot a|mong us: We will finde all precious &s;ubstance, and fill our hou&s;es with &s;poile, Prov.</HI> 1.13. Thus where in defence of Ju&s;tice to our &s;elves, and our own private, being innocent, and again&s;t wrongfull Authority, our lot is to be pa&s;&s;ive. Another ca&s;e may fall out, wherein it becoms us to be active, though our&s;elves, in our par|ticular intere&s;t &s;uffer not: and that is, where we &s;ee our inno|cent neighbours wrongfully abu&s;ed, and di&s;tre&s;&s;ed to extremi|tie by lawle&s;s hands; we may there ri&s;e up in re&s;cue of oppre&s;|&s;ed innocence, and do as much in our neighbours ca&s;e, as we would wi&s;h done in our own. Thus <HI>Lot</HI> re&s;i&s;ted the <HI>Sodomites</HI> in behalf of the Angels whom they invaded with violence: And <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;uccoured the <HI>I&s;raelite</HI> &s;triving with the <HI>Egyptian, Exod.</HI> 2.12. And thus every good man, armed with wealth and power, may, and ought to &s;tand up in defence of the poor widow and fatherle&s;s, again&s;t their tyrannous oppre&s;&s;ors. Nor are they
<PB N="14" REF="9">breakers of the peace in &s;o doing: but the&s;e cruell grinders of the poor, whom they re&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P>The&s;e two belong to Ju&s;tice. Two ca&s;es more remain which concern faithfulne&s;s in our Calling. One where we are Magi|&s;trates, with power &s;ufficient in our hands, and have the cu&s;tody of the publick peace committed to us. There as in defending the innocent we mu&s;t be &s;tout; &s;o in cha&s;ti&s;ing the guilty not ti|merous, nor &s;uffer dangerous offenders to &s;cape unpuni&s;hed, for fear of di&s;quieting our &s;elves or them. The peace is rather broken by tolerating &s;uch mon&s;ters, then by our &s;tirring to cor|rect them. The like is to be &s;aid for lawfull officers of Ju&s;tice, Sherifes, Bay liffs, Serjeants, Con&s;tables, being lawfully deputed by right and authority from their Prince, and Countrey, they may and mu&s;t break the peace with tho&s;e they go to arre&s;t or apprehend according to their Office; if without breaking the peace it may not be done. To this head ye may a&s;&s;ign all the work of the Souldiary in a lawfull war; Commanders, Cap|tains, or common Men; for what are &s;ouldiers, if duly called, but legall executioners of Ju&s;tice upon rebellious offenders, whom Supream Authority hath rightly condemned? This is one ca&s;e of fidelity in our Callings; where in protecting the in|nocent, or puni&s;hing the guilty, we are con&s;trained to open war. Another is in reproving and admoni&s;hing tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, a war more private; and this in &s;ome degree belongs to every man by his generall calling, as a Chri&s;tian, and a debtor of Charity to all men: for 'tis a direct charge of Almighty God, <HI>Thou &s;halt in any wi&s;e rebuke thy neighbour, and not &s;uffer &s;in upon him, Levit.</HI> 19.17. <HI>And if thy brother tre&s;pa&s;s again&s;t thee, go and tell him his fault be|twixt thee and him. Matth.</HI> 18.15. where we &s;ee our neighbour in deadly perill of his &s;oul, we may and mu&s;t rebuke him, and not fear breaking the peace with him, &s;o the manner of our reproof be charitable and di&s;creet, and the occa&s;ion probable, to do good by our reproving. But Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t if we be, and &s;o have a &s;peciall calling to reprove, Nece&s;&s;ity is then laid upon us, and wo be to us if we be &s;ilent: afraid we mu&s;t not be to &s;peak, where its likely we &s;hall do not hurt, how little hope &s;oever there be of do<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ng good. Toward tho&s;e under our charge, if it be, the
<PB N="15" REF="9">bond of our partleular calling lieth heavy upon us then. <HI>Son of man, I have made thee a watchman over the hou&s;e of I&s;rael, Ezek.</HI> 33.8. <HI>When I threaten the wicked, if thou &s;peak not to warne him: he &s;hall die in his iniquity, but his bloud will I require at thy band:</HI> Then whether it be likely by our reproving to amend, as <HI>David</HI> mended by <HI>Nathans,</HI> or likely rather for our unfaithfulne&s;s to be inraged again&s;t us, as <HI>Ahab</HI> again&s;t <HI>Michaiah,</HI> and <HI>Herod</HI> at St. <HI>Iohn Bapti&s;t,</HI> yet upon the Lords errand we poor Mini&s;ters mu&s;t go, come life or come death, come peace or come war, only where its probable we &s;hall indanger others by reprehending, and fire offenders into more mi&s;chief, there both charity and di&s;cretion alloweth us to be &s;ilent. In all other ca&s;es to have peace with known &s;inners, is to have war with God, and our own con&s;ci|ences. Nor fear we to be charged for Peace-breakers, in troubling the dangerous ea&s;e of wicked livers; it is they that break the peace, not we; who fear not to break the Laws of God, &s;aith <HI>Am|bro&s;e.</HI> Who was it troubled <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> think you, <HI>Ahab</HI> or <HI>Eliah,</HI> or who to be blamed for di&s;quieting the land in <HI>Zedekiahs</HI> time? <HI>Ieremy</HI> or the &s;editious Princes of <HI>Iudah,</HI> that would not indure <HI>Ieremies</HI> me&s;&s;age from their Maker? Nay, he that tran&s;gre&s;&s;eth breaks the peace (&s;aith <HI>Chri&s;ostome.</HI>) He that reproves tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ors (&s;pecially Gods Mini&s;ters) doth but his duty. And &s;o ye &s;ee the &s;ix Ca&s;es wherein at all times it may not be po&s;&s;ible to have peace with all men. Howbeit in all the&s;e ca&s;es, and in all others imaginable, one thing remember: Though you be forced to break the peace outwardly, pre&s;erve it inwardly; though in <HI>rebus ip&s;is,</HI> ye be compelled to &s;trive, and in word or deed to have contention, yet in heart be at peace: Still be pre|pared inwardly with hearty love and readine&s;s to agree, when ever the offence outward &s;hall be removed. And this is our <HI>Qumtum in vobis,</HI> the &s;econd limitation: <HI>As much as lieth in you.</HI> Though it be not ever po&s;&s;ible, <HI>yet as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.</HI> That is the fir&s;t and la&s;t part of our Divi&s;ion.</P>
<P>A limitation we have here, not to be &s;pared at any hand, we cannot &s;ay, <HI>if it be po&s;&s;ible,</HI> is provi&s;o enough; nay, even when it is not po&s;&s;ible to have peace on both &s;ides, &s;ome-what
<PB N="16" REF="10">lyeth in us, &s;till to be done, that there may be peace on one &s;ide. That long of us it may not be, the knot of unity is broken. If it be po&s;&s;ible, had that onely been &s;aid; why then in any of the ca&s;es aforementioned, or in any like; we &s;hould have thought our &s;elves, upon a little tryall, clearly at libertie. Being no longer po&s;&s;ible to make peace, let go the reins to &s;trife, never &s;eek farther means to agree, but if peace &s;ucceed not at fir&s;t offer, wrangle, and brawl, and break Charitie with all bitterne&s;&s;e, and never have done. Nay: Even there, where ye cannot agree; do yet what lyeth in you to agree: <HI>Seek peace, and en&s;ue it</HI> &s;till, even when the Sword of War is in your hand. In this kinde it is ever po&s;&s;ible to fulfill the Apo&s;tles precept: <HI>Have peace with all men.</HI> That is, do what lyeth in you towards it. To &s;ettle perfect peace on both &s;ides is not ever in our power. Concord, as it is betwixt two parties at the lea&s;t, &s;o upon the good will of both parties it depends. Unle&s;&s;e both &s;ides yeeld and meet, no true concord. Wherefore if one partie continue perver&s;e, perfect peace is a thing impo&s;&s;ible: yea but <HI>Quantum in volis,</HI> that is not impo&s;&s;ible. There may be peace, on one &s;ide, one partie may be willing to agree, and do all that lyeth in him toward it. And then doubt|le&s;&s;e, tis no more long of him, he hath fulfilled this Text, and li|veth peaceably with his Neighbour, as far as is po&s;&s;ible on his part. But ye will ask, What means are to be u&s;ed? Or when may we per&s;wade our &s;elves, we have done what lyeth in us to live peaceably? Sundrie Rules are here given by &s;undrie Authors. I &s;hall point you briefly to &s;ome of the principall by way of Ap|plication, and &s;o commit you to God.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t then, where our &s;elves onely are injured, Gods honour, and the publick not indangered: there by our own private wrongs &s;it we down. Forgive, forget and put up without more ado; &s;eek no manner of revenge for &s;uch. For as the former clau&s;e, <HI>If it be po&s;&s;ible,</HI> provides for the glory of God, and the common welfare, that the publick take no wrong. So, <HI>as much as lyeth in you,</HI> provides for &s;afetie of our own &s;ouls, that in pro|&s;ecution of private injuries we loo&s;e not Charitie, and &s;o loo&s;e Heaven. If therefore he be a froward Enemie, and difficult to be won, do not you &s;it down by and by, and &s;ay; Peace is no more
<PB N="17" REF="10">po&s;&s;ible, I am di&s;pen&s;ed within this quarrell; But a&s;&s;ay with all loving offices to win him, and do to the utmo&s;t of what lyeth in you. Is he weak? Bear with him. Captious? give him no offence. Is he humour&s;ome? ob&s;erve times to plea&s;e him. Is he over-talkative? &s;ay little to him. If ha&s;tie to anger, provoke him not. If &s;tiffe upon what he conceives his right, part with &s;ome of yours. If with good u&s;age to be won; cea&s;e not heaping all manner of kindne&s;&s;e upon him. If with yeelding to be wrought on, &s;ubmit and give place, yea though your cau&s;e be the better, &s;o the publick &s;uffer not. If none of all this will do, yet &s;till pray for him, love him, hope the be&s;t; give not over by the mediation of others to gain him, though your per&s;onall en|deavour be fruitle&s;&s;e. Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and being &s;trong in love, to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to plea&s;e our &s;elves.</P>
<P>Singular to this purpo&s;e is that memorable Prote&s;tation of St. <HI>Bernard.</HI> I, my brethren, what ever you do, am determined &s;till to live peaceably, with you, and to love you, how little &s;o|ever beloved of you: I will cleave to you, though I finde you un|willing; Nay I will cleave to you, though my &s;elf be unwilling. Long &s;ince have I chained my heart to yours, in the firm bond of Charitie, that &s;tedfa&s;t knot, that falleth not away; with tho&s;e that be turbulent, I will be calme; with tho&s;e that trouble me, meek and patient, like one no way troubled. At all times will I give place to wrath, that at no time I may give place to the Devill. Tho&s;e that are intractable, will I wearie out with friend|ly offices. Them that are unthankfull, will I lade &s;till with more benefits. Tho&s;e that de&s;pi&s;e me, will I not cea&s;e to honour. In ill language I will go away with the wor&s;t. In good language I will &s;trive to have the be&s;t; And even tho&s;e that revile me, &s;hall for my milde behaviour be forced to admire me, if not com|mend me. This is the voyce of a Soul, fully bent on the di&s;charge of this Text. And he that is as ready to do all this as to &s;ay it; we may be confident comes very neer the Apo&s;tles meaning in this place.</P>
<P>That the&s;e Le&s;&s;ons appear not too hard for us, take notice of the fountain virtues, from whence they proceed. And tho&s;e
<PB N="18" REF="11">are, Humilitie, Love, and Patience; Three virtues, which well &s;ettled in us, would take away all &s;trife in the world, and make up our <HI>Quantum in vobis</HI> abundantly. Humility fir&s;t would teach us to &s;toop to inferiours, and though our cau&s;e be the better, yet to yeeld for Peace &s;ake, and the common benefit, to men in a wor&s;e: <HI>Bear ye one anothers burthens</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>and &s;o fulfill the Law of Chri&s;t.</HI> Galat. 6.2. Bear a burthen he cannot well, that will not &s;toop to take it up 3 Agree with his Adver&s;arie, he will not ea&s;ily, who is high minded, and de&s;pi&s;eth his Adver|&s;ary, di&s;daining to incline and bend to men in virtue, or power, beneath him.</P>
<P>But Love removes this difficultie; Love as it covereth a mul|titude of offence, &s;o it can bear with a multitude of in|firmities; teaching men to look not every one on his own things, but on the things of others. Not to be wi&s;e in our own eyes, or &s;tiffe in our own judgements; that is, to plea&s;e our &s;elves, but every one to plea&s;e his neighbour for his good to edification. By love we &s;et our &s;elves in our neighbours &s;tead, accounting our &s;elves one per&s;on with him, e&s;teeming our neighbours benefit, ours, his grievance, ours, and &s;o doing in all re&s;pects, as we would with done to our &s;elves; &s;uch love crowns our humility: when the Apo&s;tle therefore had ex|horted the <HI>Cal<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;ians</HI> to humblene&s;s of minde, he adds to make &s;ure work, <HI>Above all things put on Christ, which is the bond of per|fectne&s;s, Col. &s;.</HI> 3.14.</P>
<P>Charity being well put on, will lead us to patience and long-&s;uffering, the harde&s;t burthen of all three. But to love no|thing is hard; How many unkindne&s;&s;es, and unthankfull carri|ages doth love teach Parents to bear patiently from their children? It is no love indeed that is not long &s;uffering. By this we draw neer the &s;emblance of Gods love, who is kinde to the unthankfull and the evill, making his Sun to &s;hine upon the evill and the good, and &s;ending raine upon the ju&s;t and unju&s;t. By Patience we are inabled for the mo&s;t needfull work of all to the continuance of Peace, namely, not aven|ging our &s;elves: for of the two, more guilty is he of &s;trife, that renders evill (&s;aith one) then he that offers evill. He
<PB N="19" REF="11">that doth wrong &s;eldome thinks it wrong, his in&s;olence or his ignorance per&s;wades him 'tis but right; but he that requires wrong, is per&s;waded 'tis evill he hath &s;uffered and evill he re&s;olves to render, &s;o he confe&s;&s;eth the wrong: Somewhat wor&s;e of the two therefore it is, to requite injury, then to offer it, wor&s;e for Peace, if not for con&s;cience. The Proverb there holds true, <HI>That the &s;econd blow breaks the peace, not the first:</HI> for were we patient in taking wrong, and rendred not evill for evill, all &s;trife would &s;hortly be at an end, the fire would go out of it &s;elf.</P>
<P>Now if with all our Patience, and Love, and Humility, we cannot win our adver&s;aries, yet we are not di&s;charged, This <HI>Quantum in vobis</HI> reacheth further &s;till. To our Patience, we are to add Per&s;everance, <HI>Not to be weary of well doing,</HI> that is, of &s;uffe|ring evill with patience, but hold out in our meekne&s;s and for|bearance, &s;till offering reconcilement, &s;till ready to forgive and agree, if our adver&s;aries never &s;o late will come in, though we are &s;miten on one cheek, turning the other; though we have lo&s;t our coat, ready to part with cloak and all; &s;o Peace may be found in the end; and if no peace come yet never give over praying and indeavouring, and trying all po&s;&s;ible means, that &s;o the fault may not lie on our &s;ides, but that it may appear to the world, we have done to the utmo&s;t of what lieth in us; and having done that, refer the event to God, Saying, O Lord, we are ready to do and to &s;uffer for the love of Peace what|&s;oever thou &s;halt enable us: But if for the puni&s;hment of our &s;ins, and the cha&s;ti&s;ement of this Nation, it be thy plea&s;ure &s;till to withold &s;o great a ble&s;&s;ing, yet give us hearts alwayes detirous of peace, ever more patient and acknowledging our &s;trips lighter then we de&s;erve. But if our tears and &s;upplicati|ons after &s;uch a length of &s;uffering may finde any acceptance with thee; be plea&s;ed, O Lord, to defer the ble&s;&s;ing no longer; but &s;ay to the de&s;troying Sword this day, It is enough. Stop the i&s;&s;ues of bloud, and heal the wounds of this fainting Kingdom: Soften the mo&s;t obdurate hearts that block up the way. Thou that art the God of Peace, command peace, make it thine own work. So ble&s;s this Treaty, that it may an&s;wer the
<PB N="20" REF="12">hopes and de&s;ires of thy poor &s;ervants; And that our lives and conver&s;ations may an&s;wer tho&s;e vows and promi&s;es of amend|ment and thankfulne&s;s, which upon granting our de&s;ires we have made to thee; that &s;o peace with our Brethren may fur|ther the peace of a good con&s;cience, and eace of con&s;cience lead us in due time to the peace of thy Kingdome, even that <HI>Peace which pa&s;&s;eth all under&s;tanding.</HI> To which we be|&s;eech him to bring us, who hath &s;hed his mo&s;t precious bloud to pucha&s;e it for us. To whom with the Father, and the holy Spirit, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
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