“Many among us have no other reason why they oppose good motions but because they were not first in them. They are loath to break the ice, to begin a good work if they see any difficulty in it, and yet the cause of God must not go on, indeed Christ must not be admitted, …
You First
“Now when one proud man thinks it a dishonor for him to put up with wrong from another who, it may be, is as proud as himself, and he too thinks it a dishonor for him to put up with wrongs, what peace can there be? Some wrongs must be put up with, but proud …
That Ringleader Pride
“Though there are many in a riot, the whole blame usually is laid upon the ringleaders. Pride is the ringleader of all riots, divisions, and disturbances among us” (Burroughs, Irenicum, p. 158).
Chariot Wheels of the Furies
“These are pride, self-love, envy, and passion or forwardness. All the other distempers that cause divisions have the poison of these four at the root of them. These are the chariot wheels of the furies, or the four horses that draw them up and down hurrying from place to place” (Burroughs, Irenicum, p. 157).
You Export What You Manufacture
“No virtue is contrary to another, but vices have nothing but contrarities and contradictions in them. Men’s lusts oppose and fight against one another in men’s hearts. No marvel then, when there are such stirs within, that they break forth into quarrels and contentions without. If a man is quarrelsome in his family, no wonder …
A Snarling Defense
“Nothing is a man’s own so much as his lusts. Man aims wholly at himself in satisfying his lust. A dog will bark and bite and fly in a man’s face to preserve his own whelps” (Burroughs, Irenicum, p. 152).
Head and Heart
“We all put off the cause of our divisions from ourselves. Few would give St. James’s answer: ‘They are from hence, even from our lusts.’ There would not be such evil distillations from the head if it were not for the malignant vapors that arise from the stomach. Curing the heart will sooner cure the …
Let Us Hope So
“It is with the saints here as it is with the boughs of trees in a storm. You shall see the boughs beat upon one another, as if they would beat one another pieces, as if armies were fighting; but this is but while the wind, while the tempest lasts. Stay awhile and you shall …
That Doesn’t Sound Like Much Fun
“We must rather wrong ourselves by thinking too well of them than wrong them by thinking too ill of them. This would help exceedingly much to bring peace” (Burroughs, Irenicum, pp. 139-140).
Weakness and Strength
“Men who are weak and can see but a little way into things must take heed they censure not others who know how to manage business better than themselves” (Burroughs, Irenicum, p. 139).