tion. The Second Part of the Sermon againft Contention. T hath been declared unto you in this Sermon against Strife and Brawling, what great inconvenience cometh thereby, fpecially 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 Chriftians, 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 curath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, and I will revenge, faith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy bunger, feed him; if be thirft, 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 stomach, and set so much by themselves, that they may not abide fo much as one An objec- evil word to be spoken of them, peradventure will fay, If I be reviled, fhall I stand still, like a goofe, or a fool, with my finger in my mouth? Shall I be fuch an idiot and dizard, to fuffer every man to fpeak upon me what they lift, to rail what they lift, to fpew out all their venom against me at their pleatures? Is it not convenient, that he that fpeaketh evil fhould be answered accordingly? If I fhall ufe this lenity and foftnefs, I thall both increafe mine ene mies frowardness, and provoke others to do the like. Such reafons make they, that can fuffer nothing, for the defence An anfwer. of their impatience. And yet, if, by froward answering to a froward perfon, there were hope to remedy his frowardnefs, he fhould lefs offend that fo fhould anfwer, 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 fhould perish 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 fay well than to fay evil. For to fpeak well against evil, cometh of the Spirit of God: but to render evil for evil, cometh of the contrary fpirit. 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 strong man. For the true ftrength and manliness is to overcome wrath, and to defpife injuries and other men's foolishnets. And, befides this, he that fhall defpife 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 adverfary, giving fufpicion that the thing is true. And in fo going about to revenge evil, we fhew ourselves to be evil; and while we punith 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 Chrift, for whofe fake thou fhouldeft render good for evil, because he hath commanded thee, and alfo deferved that thou fhouldeft 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 and trefpaffers. How wouldeft 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, fecing 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, be did not use reviling words again; and when be fuffered wrongfully, be 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 canft be no member of Chrift, if thou follow not the fteps of Chrift; who (as the Pro- Ifa. lui. phet faith) was led to death like a lamb, not opening his 13 mouth Acts vii. mouth to reviling, but opening his mouth to praying for Luke xxiii. them that crucified him, faying, Father, forgive them, for they cannot tell what they do. The which example, anon after Chrift, St. Stephen did follow, and after St. Paul: 1 Cor. iv. We be evil spoken of, faith he, and we speak well: We fuffer perfecution, and take it patiently: Men curfe us, and we gently intreat. Thus St. Paul taught that he did, and he did that he taught. Blefs you, faith he, them that perfecute you bless you, and curfe not. Is it a great thing to fpeak well to thine adverfary, to whom Chrift doth command thee to do well? David, when Shimei did call him all to nought, did not chide again, but faid patiently, Suffer him to speak evil, if perchance the Lord will have mercy on me. Hiftories be full of examples of Heathen men, that took very meekly both opprobrious and reproachful words, and injurious or wrongful deeds. And hall thofe Heathen excel in patience us that profess Christ, the teacher and example of all patience? Lysander, when one did rage against him, in reviling of him, he was nothing moved, but faid, Go to, go to, speak againft me as much and as oft as thou wilt, and leave out nothing, if perchance by this means thou mayeft difcharge thee of thofe naughty things, with the which it feemeth that thou art full laden. Many men fpeak evil of all men, because they can fpeak well of no man. After this fort, this wife man avoideth from him the reproachful words fpoken unto him, imputing and laying them to the natural fick nefs of his adverfary. Pericles, when a certain fcolder or railing fellow did revile him, he answered not a word again, but went into a gallery; and after, towards night, when he went home, this fcolder followed him, raging ftill more and more, because he faw the other to fet nothing by him and after that he came to his gate, (being dark night) Pericles commanded one of his fervants to light a torch, and to bring the fcolder home to his own houfe. He did not only with quietnefs fuffer this brawler patiently, but alfo recompented an evil turn with a good turn, and that to his enemy. Is it not a fhame for us that profefs Chrift, to be worfe than Heathen people, in a thing chiefly pertaining to Chrift's religion? Shall philofophy perfuade them more than God's word fhall perfuade us? Shall natural reafon prevail more with them, than religion fhall with us? Shall man's wifdom lead them to thofe things, whereunto the heavenly doctrine cannot lead us? What blindnefs, wilfulnefs, or rather madness is this! Pericles, from quar being provoked to anger with many villainous words, answered not a word. But we, firred but with one litthe word, what foul work do we make! How do we fume, rage, ftamp, and ftare like mad men! Many men of every trifle will make a great matter, and of a fpark of a little word will kindle a great fire, taking all things in the worst part. But how much better is it, and more Reafons to like to the example and doctrine of Chrift, to make ra- move men ther a greater fault in our neighbour a fmall fault, rea-rel picking. fening with ourfelves after this fort: He fpake thefe words; but it was in a fudden heat; or the drink spake them, and not he; or he fpake them at the motion of fome other; or he fpake them being ignorant of the truth; he fpake them not against me, but againft him whom he thought me to be. But as touching evil fpeaking, he that is ready to fpeak evil against other men, firft let him examine himfelf, whether he be faultlefs, and clear of the fault which he findeth in another. For it is a fhaine, when he, that blameth another for any fault, is guilty himself, either in the fame fault, or in a greater. It is a fhame for him that is blind to call another man blind; and it is more fhame for him that is whole blind to call him blinkard that is but purblind: for this is to fee a firaw in another man's eye, when a man hath a block in his own eye. Then let him confider, that he that ufeth to fpeak eil fhall commonly be evil spoken of again. And he that fpeaketh what he will for his pleasure, fhall be compelled to hear what he would not to his difpleafure. Moreover, let him remember that faying, that we shall Matt. xii.. give an account for every idle word. How much more then fhall we make reckoning for our fharp, bitter, brawling, and chiding words, which provoke our brother to be angry, and fo to the breach of his charity? And as touching evil anfwering, although we be never fo much provoked by other men's evil fpeaking, yet we fhall not follow their frowardnefs by evil anfwering, if we confider that anger is a kind of madness, and that he which is angry is, as it were, for the time in a phrenzy. Wherefore let him beware, left in his fury he ipeak any Reafons to thing, whereof afterward he may have juft caufe to be move men forry. And he that will defend that anger is not fury, ? ward anbut that he hath reafon even when he is molt angry; (wering. then let him reafon thus with himfelf when he is angry: Now I am fo moved and chafed, that within a little while after I fhall be otherwife minded: wherefore then fhould 1 4 from fro fhould I now speak any thing in mine anger, which hereafter, when I would faineft, cannot be changed? Wherefore fhall I do any thing, now being, as it were, out of my wit, for the which, when I fhall come to myfelf again, I fhall be very fad? Why doth not reafon, why doth not godlinefs, yea, why doth not Chrift obtain that thing now of me, which hereafter time fhall obtain of me? If a man be called an adulterer, ufurer, drunkard, or by any other fhameful name, let him confider earnestly whether he be fo called truly or falfely: if truly, let him amend his fault, that his adverfary may not after worthily charge him with fuch offences: if thefe things be laid againft him falfely, yet let him confider whether he hath given any occafion to be fufpected of fuch things; and fo he may both cut off that fufpicion, whereof this flander did arife, and in other things fhall live more warily. And thus ufing ourfelves, we may take no hurt, but rather much good, by the rebukes and flanders of our enemy. For the reproach of an enemy may be to many men a quicker fpur to the amendment of their life, than the gentle monition of a friend. Philippus, the king of Macedonia, when he was evil fpoken of by the chief rulers of the city of Athens, he did thank them heartily, becaufe by them he was made better, both in his words and deeds: for I ftudy, faith he, both by my fayings and doings to prove them liars. The Third Part of the Sermon against Contention. E heard, in the laft leffon of the Sermon against Strife and Brawling, how we may anfwer them which maintain their froward fayings in contention, and that will revenge with words fuch evil as other men do them; and finally how we may according to God's will order ourfelves, and what to confider towards them when we are provoked to contention and ftrife with railing words. Now to proceed in the fame natter, you fhall know the right way how to difprove and overcome your adverfary and enemy. This is the beft way to difprove a man's adveriary, fo to live, that all which fhall know his honefty may bear witnefs that he is flandered unworthily. If the fault, whereof he is flandered, be fuch, that, for the defence of his honefty, he must needs make anfwer, |