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[ 1799] Men to be at Peace one with another.
IT is reported of two Noble Lacedemonians,* 1.1 that being at mortall hatred, were met by Archidamus, their King, in the Temple of Minerva; he requires them to put the matter to an indifferent Umpire;* 1.2 They choose the King himself, He makes them swear to abide his order, which accordingly they do: Now, saith the King, I order that you shall not go out of this Temple untill you be Friends; And so they patted Friends (For an Oath taken in that Temple was unlawfull to be broken:) Now it were heartily to be wished, that we who are the Temple of God,* 1.3 and such as usually meet in the Temple of God, and there partake the holy things of God, would keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace, not to be unpeaceable with the peaceable, which argues a devillish mind; not unpeaceable with the unpeaceable,* 1.4 which argues a corrupt mind; nor yet content our selves in that we are peaceable with the peaceable, which argues but a civill mind; but if it be possible, and as much as in us lyeth to be peaceable with the unpeaceable, which is that that argues onely a true Christian, and Heroicall mind; And so should we make it good that we are endowed with true Grace, and are true Subjects of that Kingdome which is the Kingdome of Peace, whose King is Peace.