Of peace and contentment of minde. By Peter Du Moulin the sonne. D.D.

CHAP. VII. Of Moderation in Conversation.

IT is a most necessary provision for any man that will lead a peaceable life, in this age and these regions, torne with diversity of parties; Mens minds being so generally exulcerated, that in casuall meetings either they cast a suspicious eye upon their Contreymen because they know them not, or abhorre them because they know them. Here then there is need of a meek, com∣pliant industrious and universall mind, retired within himselfe, and healed of that epidemicall itch of light-brained men, to declare all their o∣pinions, and inclinations, and quarrell with all that are otherwise disposed.

It is an old and usefull observation, that God hath given us two eares and one mouth, to teach

us that we ought to heare more then speake. To which it may be added, that we have no eare-lids to keep our eares from hearing, and often must heare against our will; but our mouth shuts na∣turally, and we may keep our tongue from speaking, unlesse by our intemperance we lose that priviledge of nature.

God indeed hath not given us a tongue to hold our peace: But, that we may use it so that our neighbours may receive good by it, and we no harme, there is need of a great measure of charity and discretion.

To that end a wise man will not be the chiefe speaker in an unknowne or dangerous company, but be content to second those that are more able or more willing to speake, unlesse the dis∣course be like to turne to a contentions matter, for then it will be prudently done to put the company upon some innocent discourse accept∣able to all. But companies are apt to speake of that which hath the vogue; of points of State in factious times, and of points of religion almost at all times.

As for points of State any man may be bold to interrupt the discourse, saying, Let us leave State businesses to Statesmen.

The discourse of religion, the great occasion of falling out, must be turned, if we can, to the use of comfort and amendment of life, rather then arguing about points of beleefe. Indeed we

we are commanded to be alwayes ready to give an answere to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us, 1 Pet. 3.15. Which when we are cal∣led upon, we must doe it as the text modifieth it, with meekenes and feare; not with bitternes & con∣tention. And the Apostle requires of us to be ready to answere, not eager to question. Reason serveth to convince, but charity is the chiefe and welnigh the onely way to perswade. Vehemence will make an adversary stiffer, for even the force of an insoluble argument, though calmely propounded, makes no other impression upon prejudicate spirits but to make them startle; and finding no helpe in reason, to leane the more fiercely upon passion. Though you stop your ad∣versaries mouth, you shall not thereby convince his reason; and though you convince his reason, you shall not turne his beleefe: For that, you must winne his affection, and affection is not wonne with Syllogisms; for I speake of men not such as they should be, altogether ruled by right reason; but such as they are for the most part, blinde and heady, having their reason enslaved to custome and passion. There is great difference betweene convincing and converting: The first may be done by the goodnes of the cause, or the subtility of the disputant; But converting is the worke of God onely. It is enough to perswade us that spirit and soule are too different things, when we see spirits capable of the highest Philo∣sophical

reasons to be unable to understand plaine reasoning about matters that concerne their salvation. In vaine shall you convince the spirit with reason, unlesse God open the eares of the soule.

In such meetings, in stead of seeking wherein we differ, and falling out about it, we should seeke wherein we agree, and praise God for it. If newes were brought to us of the discovery of a great Christian Empire in Terra Australis, where they beleeve the holy Scriptures, and the Creed, and receive the foure first General Coun∣cels; No doubt but it would rejoyce us much, and we would love them though they differed from us in the doctrines built upon those common grounds. And why doe we not beare with our neighbours and countrey-men who agree with us in so many fundamentall points, who wor∣ship the same God, Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost; who embrace the promises of the Gospel in Jesus Christ, and endeavour by the love of God and the exercise of good workes to glorifie God and attaine to his kingdome? Could we abhorre one another more if one partie worship∣ped Christ and the other Mahomet? Even where the quarrel was onely about points of Discipline, the dissension was heated even to confiscations, battells, and sacking of townes; So furious is superstition, and funest in its effects, what par∣ty soever it take; for it is found in good and evill

parties, being natural to all weake and passio∣nate soules: If it maintaine falshood it dishon∣oureth the truth by putting a wrong byasse upon it. It is a compound of ignorance, pride, rashnes, and cruelty; All which moulded with a bastard zeale, and infused in black choller, make up the most malignant venome of the world.

For one that is of the stronger party it is inso∣lence to provoke him that is of the weaker in the most sensible point of all, which is conscience. And for him who is of the weaker party to pro∣voke him that is of the stronger, it is both inso∣lence and folly.

In a milde and well composed spirit, the dan∣gerous errours of others moove pitty not hatred; And if pitty sets him on to reduce them to the saving truth, prudence will take him off betimes from that designe when he seeth it impossible; And it is impossible when charity will not doe it, which must not be violated for any pretence whatsoever. Psal. 85.10. Mercy and truth shall meet together, righteousnes and peace have kissed each other. Truth cannot be establisht without mercy, nor righteousnes without peace. Making breach in charity to preserve faith is demolishing the roofe of the Church to mend the walls. Having found by the trial of a hundred yeares that bat∣tells and syllogisms will bring no general con∣version, let us fight no more but by prayers, and let all parties strive for the palme of charity and

moderation. The two rivers of Danubius and Sauns falling into one channel goe thirty leagves together unmingled. If the difference of our opinions will not suffer us to mingle, yet we may joine. Let us goe quietly together in our common channel, the State where we live, tend∣ing to the same end, the publique peace and the glory of God. This conceit I owe to that blessed sonne of peace, that rare teacher and high pat∣terne of moderation and tranquillity of minde the right Reverend Bishop Hall, who hath not written one onely booke of Christian moderation; but all his learned and gracious workes, and the whole course of his wise and religious life are a perpetual comment upon that golden vertue.

When we conferre of any matter with per∣sons of a different tenet, our end must ever be to find the truth not to get the victory. And that end must be sought with a meeke and moderate way. That milde course will yeeld us a double benefit, for it will preserve the liberty of our judgement, which is taken away by the heate of dispute and precipitation. A hasty disputant will soone be brought to non plus. Besides when good sense is assisted with moderatiō, it sinks better in∣to the adversaries reason, as a soft showre soakes the ground better then a stormy raine. A mod∣erate rational man either shall win the assent of his adversary or his good opinion.

Railing and insultation are offensive, more to

him that useth it then to them that are misused by it, for when passion riseth high in words, it giveth a prejudice to the hearers, that reason is out of combat. Anger is an ill helpe to reason for it disableth reason from helping itselfe. Dogs that bark much seldome bite, for it is feare that makes them barke.

Great and good workes are done with little noise. So was the worke of salvation done, the best of all workes: Of the Author and finisher whereof Isaiah saith, He shall not strive, nor lift up, not cause his voyce to be heard in the streets: Isa. 42.2. Wherefore when Devills possessing mens bo∣dies cryed out in his presence, He commanded them to hold their peace, for the Devill loves noise and tumult, but God loves peace, meek∣ness, and serenity.

It is a precept fit for the Gospell of peace, Let your moderation be known of all men. Phil. 4.5. The word of the Text 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, properly signifies equity. Of that equity the grand rule is to do to others as wee would have others doe to us. Which in the point of conversation, our present matter, ought to make us deale with others with that patience respect and moderation, which we expect of them; not setting forth our opinions imperiously, nor rejecting the opinions of others arrogantly, remembring that all men by their na∣turall condition (never throughly mended by grace in this life) are inwrapt in a deep mist, and that all our reasoning is groping in the darke;

Let us passe gently over the errours of our neigh∣bours to oblige them to the like kindness.

If we knew how few things we know, and how lamely, we would make use of reason and discourse rather to seeke instruction then to pro∣nounce aphorisms. If we find ourselves capable to cleare a matter, let us do it without awing the company with peremptoriness, or wearying it with multitude of words. No discourse is profi∣table when it is tedious. In every matter there is commonly but one essentiall reason, or two at the most. More reasons serve for illustration, or to fill up, and many times to invalid the true rea∣son. Three good reasons for the same thing, are worse then one.

The greatest use, and indeed the greatest trial of moderation in conference, is to avoyd con∣founding the interesse of the thing with the in∣teresse of the person, of ones selfe especially. For where shall you finde those serene unmoved minds, who hearing their opinion taxed of igno∣rance & folly wil not presently start & take more paine to prove, that they are no fooles then to weigh the reasons, and judge impartially where the truth lyeth? Most men being thus disposed, he that will oppose their opinions must proceed with great moderation, lest that, being touched in credit and personal ressenting, they make the truth suffer for their private interesse. We must charitably consider that every one loveth the

productions of his owne braines, as his children, and is sensible of the abuse offered unto them. And we must bring our charity to this beleefe that every one is in good earnest of the opinion which he professeth, and thinks himselfe to be in the right. Il proprio parer non ha mai torto. You beleeve he is in an errour, he beleeves the same of you, And he will never think himselfe to be in the wrong, till it be represented to him with solid reason, sweetened with singular meekenes and respect.

Moderate and ingenuous spirits (O how rare they be?) finding themselves prest with reason and truth, will freely yeeld the bucklers; They winne, when truth overcomes. But it is a flight, to use fradulent shifts, opposing right reason with sophistry, and when a man is overcome, & is a∣shamed to yeeld, throw dust in the eyes of his ad∣versary. That peevish and ungenerous point of honour is learned in our Schooles, never to yeeld any thing as long as one can maintaine it by right or wrong. One errour is defended by another, and a man comes to beleeve in earnest, that which he had alledged before out of despaire.

It is also a point of moderation to consider ma∣turely what it was that gave occasion to the opi∣nions and practises which are deservedly con∣demned. There is no doctrine so horrible, no disorder so foule, but there is much to learne out of it. Looke to the source: Something will

bee found obscure or ill expounded in the termes of the received doctrine, or some excesse or defect in the ordinary practise, which gives occasion of exceptions, and then of seperation, and againe of opposition and faction to scrupu∣lous and turbulent spirits. There is no rebellion but was occasioned by some fault in the Sate. Let us never looke upon those publique trans∣gressions but with a reflection upon the causes. Which if they be past our mending, we must try whether we may mend ourselves by them; learning by the faults of others and the occasi∣ons, moderation in our judgement, and compassi∣on of humane weakeness, which is uncapable of a sincere and constant keeping of any good, loseth the benefit of good things by turning them to the wrong side, laboureth to cure one evill by a greater, and killeth the patient to heale the disease.

Solomon who had beheld all the good & evil of the world with a judicious eye, upon that dis∣course giveth us this precept of moderation. Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thy selfe overwise. Eccles. 7.16. He that censureth too magistrally the evill that is done in the world by errour of judgement and rashness of passion, con∣sidereth not enough the infirmity of mankind and his owne, and sheweth that he knoweth not the world. Errour, vanity, superstition, the ru∣ines of warre and the vices of peace, faire pre∣tences

and ill deeds, private ends cloaked with publique good, the advancement of few men consisting of the depression of many, the zeale of idiots setting up a ladder for the rising of the am∣bitious; All these are the course of the world. So it went before our time; So it will go after. Eccles. 7.10. Say not thou what is the cause that the former dayes were better then these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this. Wisemen are ama∣zed at nothing, and make profit of all.