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he is a new-broached brother, he is a good catholic father, he is a papift, he is an heretic. O how the church is divided! O how the cities be cut and mangled! O how the coat of Chrift, that was without feam, is all to rent and torn! O body myftical of Chrift, where is that holy and happy unity, out of the which whofoever is, he is not in Chrift? If one member be pulled from another, where is the body? If the body be drawn from the head, where is the life of the body? We cannot be joined to Christ our Head, except we be glued with concord and charity one to another. For he that is not in this unity is not of the Church of Chrift, which is a congregation or unity together, and not a divifion. St. Paul faith, That as long 1 Cor. iii. as emulation or envying, contention, and factions or fects be among us, we be carnal, and walk according to the fleshly man. And St. James faith, If ye have bitter emulation or James iii. envying, and contention in your hearts, glory not of it: for where contention is, there is unfteadfastnefs and all evil deeds. And why do we not hear St. Paul, which prayeth us, whereas he might command us, faying, I beseech you in 1 Cor. i. the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that you will speak all one thing, and that there be no diffenfion among you; but that you will be one whole body, of one mind, and of one opinion in the truth. If his defire be reasonable and honest, why do we not grant it? If his request be for our profit, why do we refuse it? And if we lift not to hear his petition of prayer, yet let us hear his exhortation, where he faith, Texhort you, that you walk as it becometh the vocation Ephef. iv. in which you be called, with all fubmiffion and meekness, with lenity and foftness of mind, bearing with one another in charity, studying to keep the unity of the Spirit by the bond of peace: for there is one body, one Spirit, one faith, one baptifm. There is, faith he, but one body, of the which he can be no lively member, that is at variance with the other members. There is one Spirit, which joineth and knitteth all things in one. And how can this one Spirit reign in us, when we among ourselves be divided? There is but one faith; and how can we then fay, he is of the old faith, and he is of the new faith? There is but one baptifm; and then shall not all they which be baptized be one? Contention causeth divifion, wherefore it ought not to be among Chriftians, whom one faith and baptifm joineth in an unity. But if we contemn St. Paul's requeft and exhortation, yet at the leaft let us regard his earneft entreating, in the which he doth very earnestly charge us, and (as I may fo fpeak) conjure us in this form and manner, If there be any confolation in Chrift, if there Phil. be

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be any comfort of love, if you have any fellowship of the Spirit, if you have any bowels of pity and compaffion, fulfil my joy, being all like affected, having one charity, being of one mind, of one opinion, that nothing be done by contention, or vain-glory. Who is he, that hath any bowels of pity, that will not be moved with these words fo pithy? Whose heart is so ftony, that the sword of thefe words, which be more fharp than any two-edged fword, may not cut and break afunder? Wherefore, let us endeavour ourselves to fulfil St. Paul's joy here in this place, which shall be at length to our great joy in another place. Let us fo read fhould read the Scripture, that by reading thereof we may be made the Scrip- the better livers, rather than the more contentious difputers. If any thing be neceffary to be taught, reasoned, or difputed, let us do it with all meeknefs, foftness, and lenity. If any thing fhall chance to be fpoken uncomely, let one bear another's frailty. He that is faulty, let him rather amend, than defend that which he hath spoken amifs, left he fall by contention from a foolish error into an obftinate herefy. For it is better to give place meekly, than to win the victory with the breach of charity, which chanceth when every man will defend his opinion obftinately. If we be Chriftian men, why do we not Matth. xi. follow Chrift, who faith, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart? A difciple muft learn the leffon of his schoolmafter, and a fervant muft obey the commandment James iii. of his mafter; He that is wife and learned, faith St. James, let him fhew his goodness by his good converfation, and fobernefs of his wifdom. For where there is envy and contention, that wisdom cometh not from God, but is worldly wisdom, man's wisdom, and devilish wisdom. For the wifdom that cometh from above, from the Spirit of God, is chafte and pure, corrupted with no evil affections; it is quiet, meek, and peaceable, abhorring all defire of contention; it is tractable, obedient, not grudging to learn, and to give place to them that teach better for their reformation. For there fhall never be an end of ftriving and contention, if we contend who in contention fhall be mafter, and have the overhand we shall heap error upon error, if we continue to defend that obftinately, which was spoken unadvisedly. For truth it is, that stiffness in maintaining an opinion breedeth contention, brawling, and chiding, which is a vice among all other moft pernicious and peftilent to common peace and quietnefs. And as it ftandeth betwixt two perfons and parties, (for no man commonly doth chide with himself,) fo it comprehendeth two moft deteftable vices; the one is picking of quarrels, with fharp and con

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tentious words: the other standeth in froward answering, and multiplying evil words again. The firft is fo abominable, that St. Paul faith, If any that is called a brother be 1 Cor. v. a worshipper of idols, a brawler, a picker of quarrels, a thief, or an extortioner, with him that is fuch a man fee that ye eat not. Now here confider that St. Paul numbereth a Against fcolder, a brawler, or a picker of quarrels, among thieves quarreland idolaters; and many times there cometh lefs hurt of a picking. thief, than of a railing tongue: for the one taketh away a man's good name; the other taketh but his riches, which is of much less value and eftimation than is his good name. And a thief hurteth but him from whom he ftealeth: but he that hath an evil tongue troubleth all the town where he dwelleth, and fometime the whole country. And a railing tongue is a peftilence fo full of contagiousness, that St. Paul willeth Chriftian men to forbear the company of fuch, and neither to eat nor drink 1 Cor. v. with them. And whereas he will not that a Christian woman should forfake her husband, although he be an Infidel, or that a Chriftian fervant fhould depart from his mafter, which is an Infidel and Heathen, and so fuffereth à Chriftian man to keep company with an Infidel: yet he forbiddeth us to eat or drink with a fcolder, or a quarrel-picker. And alfo in the fixth chapter to the Corinthians, he faith thus, Be not deceived; for neither fornicators, 1 Cor. vi. neither worshippers of idols, neither thieves, nor drunkards, nor curfed fpeakers, fhall dwell in the kingdom of heaven. It muft needs be a great fault, that doth move and cause the father to difinherit his natural fon. And how can it otherwife be, but that this cursed speaking muft needs be a moft damnable fin, the which doth cause God, our most merciful and loving Father, to deprive us of his moft blessed kingdom of heaven? Againft the other fin, that ftandeth Againft froin requiting taunt for taunt, fpeaketh Chrift himself, fay- ward aning, I fay unto you, Refift not evil; but love your enemies, Matt.. and fay well by them that fay evil by you, do well unto them that do evil unto you, and pray for them that do hurt and perfecute you; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, who fuffereth his fun to rife both upon good and evil, and fendeth his rain both upon the juft and unjuft. To this doctrine of Chrift agreeth very well the teaching of St. Paul, that chofen veffel of God, who ceafeth not to exhort and call upon us, faying, Bless them that curfe Rom. xii. you; blefs, I fay, and curfe not; recompence to no man evil for evil; if it be poffible (as much as lieth in you) live peaceably with all men.

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The Second Part of the Sermon againft Contention. IT hath been declared unto you in this Sermon against Strife and Brawling, what great inconvenience cometh thereby, specially of fuch contention as groweth in matters of religion: and how when as no man will give place to another, there is no end of contention and difcord; and that unity, which God requireth of Christians, is utterly thereby neglected and broken; and that this contention ftandeth chiefly in two points, as in picking of quarrels, and making of froward anfwers. Now ye Rom.xii. fhall hear St. Paul's words, faying, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will revenge, faith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with goodness. All these be the words of St. Paul. But they that be full of ftomach, and fet fo much by themfelves, that they may not abide fo much as one evil An objec- word to be fpoken of them, peradventure will fay, If I be reviled, fhall I ftand ftill, like a goofe, or a fool, with my finger in my mouth? Shall I be fuch an idiot and dizzard, to fuffer every man to speak upon me what they lift, to rail what they lift, to fpew out all their venom against me at their pleafures? Is it not convenient, that he that fpeaketh evil should be answered accordingly? If I shall ufe this lenity and softness, I fhall both increase mine enemies frowardness, and provoke others to do the like. Such reafons make they, that can fuffer nothing, for the defence An answer. of their impatience. And yet, if, by froward answering to a froward perfon, there were hope to remedy his frowardness, he should lefs offend that fo fhould answer, doing the fame not of ire or malice, but only of that intent, that he that is fo froward or malicious may be reformed. But he that cannot amend another man's fault, or cannot amend it without his own fault, better it were that one should perifh than two. Then if he cannot quiet him with gentle words, at the leaft let him not follow him in wicked and uncharitable words. If he can pacify him with fuffering, let him fuffer; and if not, it is better to fuffer evil than to do evil, to say well than to fay evil. For to speak well against evil, cometh of the Spirit of God: but to render evil for evil, cometh of the contrary spirit. And he that cannot temper nor rule his own anger is but weak and feeble, and rather more

like a woman or a child, than a ftrong man. For the true ftrength and manliness is to overcome wrath, and to defpife injuries and other men's foolishness. And, befides this, he that shall despise the wrong done unto him by his enemy, every man fhall perceive that it was spoken or done without caufe: whereas contrarily, he that doth fume and chafe at it fhall help the caufe of his adversary, giving fufpicion that the thing is true. And in fo going about to revenge evil, we fhew ourselves to be evil; and while we will punish and revenge another man's folly, we double and augment our own folly. But many pretences find they that be wilful to colour their impatience. Mine enemy, fay they, is not worthy to have gentle words or deeds, being fo full of malice or frowardnefs. The lefs he is worthy, the more art thou therefore allowed of God, and the more art thou commended of Christ, for whofe fake thou fhouldest render good for evil, because he hath commanded thee, and alfo deferved that thou fhouldest fo do. Thy neighbour hath peradventure with a word offended thee: call thou to thy remembrance with how many words and deeds, how grievously thou haft offended thy Lord God. What was man, when Chrift died for him? Was he not his enemy, and unworthy to have his favour and mercy? Even fo, with what gentleness and patience doth he forbear, and tolerate, and fuffer thee, although he is daily offended by thee? Forgive therefore a light trefpafs to thy neighbour, that Chrift may forgive thee many thousands of trefpaffes, which art every day an offender. For if thou forgive thy brother, being to thee a trefpaffer, then haft thou a fure fign and token that God will forgive thee, to whom all men be debtors or trefpaffers. How wouldest thou have God merciful to thee, if thou wilt be cruel unto thy brother? Canft thou not find in thy heart to do that towards another, that is thy fellow, which God hath done to thee, that art but his fervant? Ought not one finner to forgive another, seeing that Chrift, which was no finner, did pray to his Father for them, that without mercy and defpitefully put him to death? Who, when he was re- 1 Pet. ii, viled, did not ufe reviling words again; and when he fuffered wrongfully, he did not threaten, but gave all vengeance to the judgment of his Father, which judgeth rightfully. And what crackeft thou of thy head, if thou labour not to be in the body? Thou canst be no member of Chrift, if thou follow not the fteps of Chrift; who (as the Prophet faith) was led to death like a lamb, not opening his Ifa. liii. mouth

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