(2.) You must not only choose men of counsel, but if you would
design the unity and peace of the churches, you must choose men of
courage to govern them; for as there must be wisdom to hear with
some, so there must be courage to correct others: as some must be
instructed meekly, so others must be rebuked sharply, that they may
be sound in the faith; there must be wisdom to rebuke some within
long-suffering, and there must be courage to suppress and stop the
mouths of others. The apostle tells Titus of some whose mouths must
be stopped, or else they would subvert whole houses, Titus i. 11.
Where this courage hath been wanting, not only whole houses, but
whole churches have been subverted. And Paul tells the Galatians,
that when he saw some endeavour to bring the churches into bondage,
that he did not give place to them, no not for an hour, &c, Gal. ii.
5. If this course had been taken by the rulers of churches, their
peace had not been so often invaded by unruly and vain talkers.

3. In choosing men to rule (if you would endeavour to keep the
unity of the Spirit, and the bond of peace thereby), be careful you
choose men of peaceable dispositions. That which hath much annoyed
the peace of churches hath been the froward and perverse spirits of
the rulers thereof. Solomon therefore adviseth, That with a furious
man we should not go, lest we learn his ways, and get a snare to our
souls, Prov. xxii. 24, 25, and with the froward we learn
frowardness. How do some men's words eat like a canker; who instead
of lifting up their voices like a trumpet to sound a parley for
peace, have rather sounded an alarm to war and contention. If ever
we would live in peace, let us reverence the feet of them that bring
the glad tidings of it.

O how have some men made it their business to preach contentions,