but a sordid compliance: righteousness without peace is but a rough austerity. They are not true friends to peace that can inhaunt with wicked men, digest violations of God's law, truth, and worship, because ease is good, and go on with a sleepy and careless silence, can violate truth, debase it, stupidly bear with errors without witnessing against them. These, whilst they seek to knit with men, they disjoin themselves from God; and whilst they would make up a strife with others, they make a greater between God and their own souls. So on the other side, they are not true friends to righteousness that have no care of making peace. Hypocrites carry on all things with a blind and brawling violence. It is true God's children cannot choose but speak warmly; but I intend those that care not what ruptures they make, how they disadvantage the cause of religion, so as they may discharge or disgorge their rage and passion: "By this shall ye know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another" (John xiii. 35). As to men, that is the badge or note: sons of God are not usually sons of the coal. Oh! that we could learn this holy art of coupling righteousness with peace, that we could reprove with faithfulness and yet bear with meekness; that we might not do the office of an executioner, but a chirurgeon; be zealous, and yet with temperateness and moderation. But of this before.

V. That a righteous peaceableness is blessed with grace here and with glory hereafter. The verse is a promise as well as a direction. This is our comfort against all the difficulties and inconveniences that holy and peaceable endeavours meet with in the world: your reward is with God, you have a pledge of it in your own souls. While strifes lessen grace in others, you grow and thrive, and you shall reap in glory.

CHAPTER IV.

VERSE 1.-From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even from your lusts, that war in your members? He had in the former chapter spoken against strifes, as proceeding from envy, and pressed them to a holy wisdom: he doth here speak against strifes and contentions, as proceeding from other carnal lusts, as ambition, covetousness, &c., which made them vex one another, and break out into unseemly brawlings. He proceedeth by way of question and conviction, as appealing to their consciences.

From whence come wars and fightings among you?] These words, Tóλεμoι kai páxαι, wars and fightings, are usually applied to their private contentions; either strifes and contentions about riches, greatness, and outward pomp, or else vexatious law-suits, and that before unbelieving judges. And the reason alleged for this exposition is, because the Christians of those times durst not openly invade one another in a hostile way: they must of necessity then have disturbed the peace of the places where they were scattered. But how plausible soever this exposition may seem, to me it is frivolous; partly because it is harsh to render wóλɛμo, kai páxαι by private strifes and contentions; partly because these wars the apostle speaketh of did go so far as bloodshed: "Ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war, and yet ye have not" (verse 2). And in the Epistle to the Hebrews, they went so far as slandering, the true Christians being spoiled and rifled

by the counterfeit (Heb. x. 34). And thirdly, histories speak of wars and tumultuary agitations that then were between Jew and Jew; as Acts v. 37. See Josephus, lib. xviii. caps. 1, 4, and 10, and lib. xx.; see Grot. in locum. And in these probably many of the pseudo-Christians were engaged. Fourthly, the apostle out of his special relation doth in this epistle not only write to the believers, but the whole nation of Israel, as doth appear by many passages of the epistle, and hath been once and again cleared.

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Come they not hence, even from your lusts,] 'Añò twv ýdovæv, from your pleasures, as it is in the margin. Lust and pleasure are often put for each other, and sometimes they are coupled; as, Serving divers lusts and pleasures" (Tit. iii. 3). Both note the affection of a wicked man to sin: lust noteth properly the earnest motion of the soul after sin, pleasure the contentment it findeth in sin. Sin is a pleasure to wicked men, it taketh up their desires or delights; "Take pleasure to riot away the day-time" (2 Pet. ii. 13): "Had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. ii. 12). Pleasure is a sign of a perfect habit, and it is hardly left. Beware of a delight in sin, when acts of uncleanness or thoughts of revenge are sweet to you; or when you please yourselves with surmises of vanity, and proud reflections upon your honour and greatness in the world. Lord, if ever sin overcome, let it be my burthen, and not my pleasure; it is a sad and high degree to rejoice to do evil. Which war in your members ?] There are several sorts of wars in the heart of man. In a wicked man's heart there may be combats, 1st, Between a man and his conscience. A heathen could say, sašiálεi áví☎v þú×ỳ,* their soul is in a mutiny; and elsewhere, speaking of a wicked man, ἐδε πρὸς σεαυτὸν φιλικῶς ἔχει, he is not friends with himself: a wicked man and his conscience are at odds and difference. 2dly, Between conviction and corruption. Sin stormeth at the light that discovereth it, and the law of the members riseth up against the law of the mind. 3dly, Between corruption and corruption. Lusts are contrary one to another, and therefore justle for the throne, and usually take it by turns. As our ancestors sent for the Saxons to drive out the Picts, so do carnal men drive out one lust by another; and, like the lunatic in the Gospel," fall sometimes in the water, and sometimes in the fire" (Matt. xvii.). As diseases are contrary, not only to health, but to themselves; so are sins, not only to grace, but to one another and we ought not to seek to cure a dead palsy by a burning fever. But now in a godly man the war is between sin and grace, fleshly counsel and enlightened reason. Now, these wars are said to be in their members. By members are understood both inward and outward faculties, which are employed as instruments of sin; and the inward faculties are called members elsewhere, "The law in the members" (Rom. vii. 23). He meaneth the strong inclination and bent of the will and affections against the knowledge of the truth. So, "Give not up your members to be weapons of unrighteousness" (Rom. vi. 13); that is, your faculties which are exercised in and by the members of the body; and because of the analogy and proportion that they carry to the outward members, as the eye to the understanding, the will to the hand, &c.

I. Lust is the make-bate in a community. Covetousness, pride, and ambition make men injurious and insolent. 1. Covetousness maketh us to

*Arist. Ethic.

contend with those that have anything that we covet, as Ahab with Naboth. Hence those injuries and vexatious suits between neighbour and neighbour. Hence public contentions.* Men care not how they overturn all public welfare, so they may attain those things upon which their covetous and carnal desires have fastened. The Assyrian king did destroy and cut off nations not a few, to add to the greatness of his empire (Isa. x. 7). 2. Pride is the cockatrice' egg that discloseth the fiery flying serpent: "By pride cometh contention" (Prov. xiii. 10). Pride endureth no equals; Haman's thirst of blood came from his haughtiness; the apostles strove who should be the greatest. 3. Ambition. Diotrephes's loving the pre-eminence, disturbed the churches of Asia (3 John v. 10). 4. Envy. Abraham and Lot's herdmen fell out (Gen. xiii. 7). Two great ones cannot endure one another near them: "Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another" (Gal. v. 36).

II. When evils abound in a place, it is good to look after the rise and cause of them. Men engage in a heat, and do not know wherefore. Usually lust is at the bottom; the sight of the cause will shame us. Is it not because I would be greater than others? more pompous and high than they? Grammarians talk of finding out the root, and philosophers of finding out the cause; so may Christians also. It is good to sift things to the bran and bottom: from whence doth this come? "While there is among you envying, strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal ?" (1 Cor. iii. 3.) It is good to check the fervour of an engagement by such a pause and consideration.

III. Lust is a tyrant that warreth in the soul, and warreth against the soul. 1. It warreth in the soul; it abuseth your affections, to carry on the rebellion against Heaven; "The flesh lusteth against the spirit," &c. (Gal. v. 17.) The Spirit no sooner presenteth a good motion, but the flesh riseth up in defiance against it. There is pride, and passion, and earthly-mindedness, envy, sensuality, unbelief, self-seeking, carnal policy. As soon as you purpose to repent, believe, pray, these are ready to hinder you, to distract you, that you cannot do the things that you would. Nay, the flesh sometimes lusteth against the flesh; sin is a burthensome task-master, it commandeth contrary things. How often is a man divided between his pomp and his sparing, his luxury and his covetousness! 2. It warreth against the soul; "Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul" (1 Pet. ii. 11). You carry an enemy in your own bosoms, which defaceth the beauty, disturbeth the order, and enthralleth the liberty of the soul. Instead of God's image there is Satan's likeness, and instead of subjection to reason there is the rebellion of appetite and vile affections; instead of freedom for righteousness, there is a sad bondage which we may discover, but cannot help.

Before I go off from this verse, I must handle two questions; one is concerning outward wars, and the other concerning inward.

1. Concerning outward wars. The apostle's speech is indefinite, and at first seemeth to condemn all wars, as if they were of a base original and descent, of the lineage of lust; therefore I shall inquire whether any wars are lawful or no? Besides the insinuation of the text, a further cause of doubting is the unsuitableness of it to a Christian spirit, it being the most dreadful way of retaliating and revenging wrongs, which is contrary to * Ex cupiditatibus, odia, dissidia, discordiæ, seditiones, bella, nascuntur. Tullius, lib. i. De Finibus.

Christianity, and a course not only questioned by some modern Anabaptists, but by antiquity itself. The eleventh canon of the Nicene council enjoineth penance to them that take up arms after their conversion to Christianity; and to this very day it is decried by the whole Socinian school, as contrary to evangelical meekness and patience; and that course of defence which Christ hath instituted; to wit, martyrdom, or shedding of our own blood, not spilling that of others.

I answer briefly: 1. There is nothing in Scripture expressly against it, nothing but strained consequences, as that of Matt. v. 43, 44, concerning love of enemies, which is forced; for nothing is there commanded, but what is commanded in the Old Testament. Now, there wars are approved, yea, appointed by God; and that saying of Christ concerneth private persons, forbidding private revenge, passions, and animosities. And so likewise Matt. v. 39, where we are forbidden to resist, must be understood of the retaliations of private revenge. And so that of Rom. xii. 20—22, “ Avenge not yourselves," &c. The magistrate's vengeance is God's vengeance, he is a person authorised by the Lord: therefore is it forbidden to a private man, he is not God's minister, to avenge them that do ill, &c. 2. If there were something in the letter against it, it were to be modified by some commodious interpretation, rather than commonwealths should be deprived of such a necessary support. If the avoiding of a personal inconvenience (as one argueth well) hath by all men been accounted a sufficient reason to expound literal Scriptures to a spiritual sense, as those of cutting off the right arm and the right eye, then questionless the letter of such Scripture must be made receptive of other signification; lest human societies should be destroyed, and disarmed of so necessary defence, and the world be turned into one universal rout and confusion; for religion is reasonable and innocent, and would establish no such inconveniences to mankind. 3. There seemeth to be somewhat in the letter of the Scripture for it. Wars in the Old Testament are approved and commanded by God. In the Apocalypse there is a manifest approbation, if not excitation of the people of God in their wars against Antichrist. Besides that they are not simply unlawful, it may be pleaded, that John, being asked concerning the duty of soldiers, instructeth them, but doth not deny their calling* (Luke iii. 14). And again, Peter baptiseth Cornelius without requiring him to give over his military employment, he continued in it when religious (Acts x.), he sent to Peter, spariúryv évoεßñ, a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually (ver. 2). So Christ commendeth the centurion, without disallowing his office. So Paul used a band of soldiers against the treachery of the Jews. All which instances yield probable arguments. 4. It may be proved lawful by such reasons and consequences as do well suit with the analogy of faith and the intent of the Scripture. Christ came not to destroy communities. Now, war is the solemn instrument of justice, the restraint of vice and public insolencies, the support of a body politic against foreign invasions and domestic rebellions. It were against the interest of all government to deny them this power, to resist and withstand the insolence of foreigners or the

Quibus proprium stipendium sufficere debere præcepit, militare utique non prohibuit. Aug. Epist. 5, ad Marcellinum. Et alibi, Nisi justa bella suscipi possent responderet iis, Arma abjicite, militari deserite, &c. Aug. contra Faustum, lib. xxii. eap. 74.

mutinies of subjects.* They are higher powers, ordained for God to resist evil (Rom. xiii. 4); that is, for the punishment of vice, which cannot be done without war many times, as judges with us now. We are bidden to give all necessary supports to them that are in authority for the maintenance of justice: "Give to Cæsar," &c. (Matt. xxii., and Rom. xiii. 6, 7.) 5. There is so little in Scripture about it, because nature of itself is so prone to such cruel and violent remedies, it being revengeful and ambitious. You shall see in all suchlike cases, where man is very ready to practise, the Scripture is very sparing in licensing or requiring. We all desire to sin cum privilegio, with a warrant from Heaven; and to say as those in the prophet, "Thou hast deceived us" (Jer. iv. 10); or this we do by Divine warrant. Therefore the Scripture in many matters useth great silence and reservation, lest by frequent injunctions it draw out our natural cruelty and revenge, which it seeketh everywhere to restrain. 6. There are several other reasons why Christianity should be so sparing in directions and iterations concerning war. Partly to take off the scandal of being a make-bate, the usual consequent of the Gospel being a sword through the corruption of the world. Partly to keep people patient, and in a peaceable co-habitation, as long as equity and common safety may permit; and that there may be an exercise for faith, expecting the recompences of God for all the wrongs done to us; and of thankfulness, forgiving for Christ's sake. Partly to restrain cruelty and delight in war; that is a character of profane men, how lawful soever the quarrel be; "They are for war," &c. (Psa. lxviii. 30, and cxx. 7.) It is a barbarous and beastly disposition. Partly to show that peace must not be broken but upon urgent necessity. Every discontent with present affairs will not warrant so desperate a remedy; a thing so highly penal and afflictive should be the last refuge. Partly to prevent unlawful wars. But you will say, What wars are unlawful? I answer, to make a war lawful there must be a concurrence of several things. There must be offensio patientis, the merits of the cause; jurisdictio judicentis, the warrant of authority; intentio finis convenientis, the uprightness of intention; and, æquitas prosequentis, the form of prosecution. 1. When there is not a good cause, the assailed may cry as David, "Lord, they hate me without a cause." Every slight pretence will not warrant it, nor every real cause, till other means are tried; for war, being the highest act of vindictive justice, must never be undertaken but upon weighty reasons. It is good to look to this circumstance; if the cause be good, and you are moved with other particular reasons, you sin. 2. When there is no good authority to warrant it, the power of the civil sword is committed to magistracy, though for the people's good. It is not for every one that is discontented with the present government, to take up arms at pleasure: that layeth a ground of all disorder and confusion. But now what authority is necessary, may be gathered from the particular constitution of every kingdom: distinct societies have their distinct forms and administrations; in most the supreme power doth not consist in one, but more persons. 3. When there is not a right end in

* Hoc et ratio doctis, et necessitas barbaris, et mos gentibus, et foris natura ipsa præscripsit, ut omnem semper vim quacunque ope possent, a corpore, a capite, a vita sua propulsarent. Cic. Orat. pro Milone.

+ Quem discordiæ, quem cædes civium, quem bellum civile delectat, eum ex numeri nominum, ex finibus humanæ naturæ exterminandum puto. M. Tull. Cic., Philip. 13.